Four and Twenty Black Birds
by Awkward writing thing
Summary: She ran away. She always ran away. She let you get close enough to care and then disappeared. No one knew to where, or from what, sometimes she didn't even know herself. But she always ran away. Crappy summary, first story! Warning, some references from Saga of Larten Crepsley, so if you haven't read that might be confused. Hope you enjoy!
1. Nightmares Bite

_Running, panting, sweat pooling under my nose and mouth, my forehead seeming to have released a waterfall. _

_The city landscape acting as a giant maze, no way out, alleys and back streets seem to make up more of my path than actual streets. What I am running from, I can only imagine. There are so many creatures who want my head on a spike that I have no idea which one this is. _Why not fly way, little bird? _I look above me, only to find criss-crossing telephone wires blocking the sky from view. This isn't only a maze, it's a _cage! _My legs carry on, running even when I lose all feeling in them, and then they stop. _

_A clearing. Buildings all around and a sole street light trap me with seemingly no way out. I look behind me to see the alley I ran through closed off. My heart beats alarmingly fast, my lungs hunger for air, but none comes. I hold my breath, daring not to move, in fear that if I do something will awake from the shadows._

"Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye" _Came a low voice behind me. I whirl around, my breath leaving me in a startled silent hiss. Only shadows face me, the owner of the velvet voice seemingly having deserted them. _

"Four and twenty black birds baked in a pie"_ The voice returned to me left. Whoever was there was clearly doing this to see me scared, I try controlling my face from turning into a grimace of fear._

"When the pie was open, the birds began to sing" _I turn to the shadows on my right, the voice owner was staying out of the faint street light, now to my left, moving behind me. I no longer linger, searching the darkness in front of me. I twirl frantically around the small circle in which I was enclosed._

"Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?" _Behind me again._

"The king was in his counting house, counting all his money" _The voice danced around the shadows, circling, getting closer._

"The queen was in the parlor, eating bread and honey" _I backed away, into the light, the terror visible now on my face, a faint laughter could be heard. The voice owner pleased that he can make me so scared simply by reciting a child's nursery rhyme._

"The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes. When down came a black bird, and-" _Hands took hold of me from behind and I let out a piercing scream._

"Skai!" A new voice cam from a distance, different hands gripped my shoulders, shaking me. My eyes shoot open, sweat dripping down my forehead and back, breaths coming in pants. The hands leave my shoulders to grab a cloth and dab the sweat away from my forehead. "Are you ok?" I look up to see my tent mate, Larten Crepsley, staring at me with concerned eyes. Larten had just joined the cirque, a vampire's apprentice, only 15. I try to smile reassuringly, but probably only succeeded in forming a grimace.

"Yeah, it was just a nightmare." I shrug, getting up and stretching. Larten rose as well, clearly not convinced.

"This is the third time this week!" He said, following me out of our tent. It was still early, judging by the minimal activity going on in the camp. "And they only seem to be getting worse, to! It took me ten minutes to get you to wake up, and-"

"Larten!" I turn to him, glaring. He sighs but shuts up, knowing that I don't want to talk. Digging his hands into his pockets he continues walking with me.

"So what do you want to do today?" I side-glance up at him, he's well over six feet tall, dwarfing my 5'2. He was already dressed, wearing black slacks, a white button-up shirt with the first few buttons undone, a deep red vest, and sandals. I always questioned his choice of foot wear, but he seemed keen on mimicking Seba's entirety so that was probably where that stemmed from. I look back to the ground, shrugging.

"Do we have any chores?" I always forget about chores, my life was to busy and exciting to worry about the little things.

"Not really, we have to help set up for the show tonight, but other than that." He shrugs, I nod and continue walking aimlessly. Larten had just started performing at the cirque recently, helping Merletta with her act. He had been sharing a tent with her and her husband, Vernus, but when I returned Mr. Tall decided it would be good for him to share with someone his age. Or at least, someone who looks his age.

I look like an average-for-these-times 14 year old, but in reality I'm over 400! I'm not a vampire, but just a mythic to humans. I am from an ancient race, called the Phoenixes. Obviously we are not fire birds, like humans think we are, but beings of magic! Though they do have one thing right, when we die or are killed we burst into flames and are re-born with all memories of our past lives intact. The only way of killing us for good is to kill us in water, so that we can not be re-born through flame.

We continue walking until we are met with the stunning view of an abandoned village. The cirque is positioned atop a hill at the moment, giving us a gorgeous view of the sun poking over the trees. "Want to go check it out?" I nudge Larten, grinning. He looked distastefully over the town.

"I don't think that would be a good idea" he side-glances towards me, I roll my eyes.

"Oh, come on, you!" I grab his hand, pulling him after me down the hill to the small town.


	2. Silver Dreams

The Town looked recently abandoned, the windows and doors were still new, and there were hardly any cob webs. It seemed to be a fairly rich town, the houses were big, and inside there were china plates and decorations made of fine jewels, silver, and gold. After Larten had gotten over how I had dragged him down the hill, he became very interested in the life style of these people. Having grown up in a city with six siblings and his cousin, Vur Hourston, his family was very poor. He had left at the age of ten and met Seba, who dropped him off here. He has come and gone a lot, according to Merletta, and has become more and more like Seba as the years went on.

"What do you think happened here?" We were walking through one of the smaller houses when something caught my attention. Ignoring Larten's question, I quickly cross the room to the small pendant that lay on the ground. It was a simple silver chain with a delicate Celtic knot on it.

My heart nearly stopped.

The knot was in the shape of a flame, and I knew automatically what it meant.

"We have to leave" I turned and walked briskly out of the room. We were now at the far end of town, the Cirque was probably a 15 minute walk away, and I wasn't about to waste a second of it hanging around here.

"Why, we've only been here" Larten paused and checked his pocket watch. "An hour! What's wrong?" He had caught up to me by now.

"See this?" I dangled the pendant in front of him. He took it and eyed it suspiciously.

"What about it?" I took off a small chain that hung around my own neck, a small silver chain with Celtic knot wings and showed it to him. "It looks like yours." He said after another moment of examination.

"Exactly" I quickened my pace.

"But what does it mean?" He jogged slightly to catch up, his tone annoyed. I turned my head to face him. We locked eye contact before I looked away.

"These are not ordinary pendants." I say, clipping mine back around my neck. "They poses great power that no human or vampire could even hope to poses." He turns his head at the mention of vampires. "… They are worn by my people." I add quietly, glaring at the ground.

"So, a Phoenix was here?" He asked, eyes widening. I nodded. "But, why would a Phoenix be here?"

I furrow my brow at that, my people only come to human towns and encampments when something terrible has either happened or will. We are usually the bearers of grim news. So why would one come here?

"I don't know, but we have to inform Mr. Tall." I said, climbing the hill to the camp. "The Cirque may not be safe."

As we got to the top of the hill we could hear the members of the Cirque preparing for opening night. Both performers and human stage hands setting up the amazing big top, ticket booth, and making sure all props are in place. We carefully skirted around the outside of the main action to Mr. Tall's caravan. As we got there the large door opened and the ring leader him self exited.

"Ah, Skai, Larten, come in." His beady black eyes motioning to the open door before giving us what could pass for a smile.

His caravan was one of the bigger ones, the walls were red on the inside, with a table and chairs set up already, he knew we were coming. His floors were carpeted and had intricate designs of the current acts in the Cirque. We sat down at his table waited as he closed the door behind us.

"Now, what have you youngsters found in the village?" He sat in front of us, his long, skinny hands folded on the table. With out a word I pushed the pendant to him. Poking it around with his hands, he looked it over carefully. "I presume that you know what this is?" Larten nods, I just stare back at the mysterious Circus owner. "What is the state of the town?"

"Abandoned. Not a soul lives there anymore. We found that" I said, motioning to the pendant, "on the floor of one of the houses." I stare him dead in the eyes. He nods, stroking his chin.

"But what does it mean?" Larten pipes up, looking between the two of us, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation, not fully understanding the danger we could be in.

"I am not sure" Mr. Tall replied finally, getting up from his seat. "But I do not think that we need make any rash decisions, thought we may leave early." He added, noting my glare. "At least you only found the pendant, and not the Phoenix as well" I sighed and rose out of my seat as well, Larten following after me. The caravan door swung open again, and we returned to the camp.

Though I didn't say, I'm actually very concerned about the whereabouts of the owner of the pendant which, I noticed, Mr. Tall didn't hand back to us.

"So, what now?" Larten asked, and though I wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation, I decided it would best to go about business as usual.

"Well, what chores do we have?" We walked slowly away from the caravan and back to the center attraction.

"Only moving sets and costumes to their rightful owners." He said, as we made our way through the many people.

Larten has been helping with Merletta's act, but he is still only a minor part in the grand scheme of things. At the intermission he still sells toys, food, and treats. Where as I have to sit back stage and wait for my act to come up. I have the closing act for the whole show, so sometimes I sit in the audience and watch the others perform, which is fun even though I'm seeing the same people doing the same acts all the time. My act changes all the time, because I can use magic to do what ever I want. Though I like having things in order and prefer to have a schedule for the day, when I come to my own act I find it hard not to change it frequently, like most of the Cirque does.

When we got to the costume tent, the stage hands had already taken care of most of the work to be done but we occupied our selves. Larten ended up having to learn a new trick from Merletta for tonight's show, so I went to a small clearing to practice my own act.

I created images using smoke and flame, then changed my appearance to that of an old feeble man. I continued fooling around until my stomach spouted it's disapproval for not have having breakfast, and I had to return to the camp. Things were falling into place and I was almost able to forget about the pendant and the village, but I could feel something, a change in the wind which unsettled me. One thing was for certain though; the show was diffidently going to be interesting tonight.


	3. Lullaby Birdland

I stood in front of one of the vanities that the costume caravan held, glaring at Larten's reflection. Seba's young assistant was currently fussing over his hair, which he usually would have done in the morning but my nightmare had messed up both of our routines.

"Larten, you look fine" I sigh, exasperated. The show starts in an hour, and while Larten gets to keep his regular clothes on I have a costume that I have to think up.

Much like my friend, the lady Evanna, I use my magic to do most mundane tasks, such as cooking, makeup, and clothing. My act changes so frequently that I decided to just do whatever I want with everything. But I still have to think of what I want to do in my act and how the costume can tie into that. Though I do enjoy that I can just 'magic up an outfit' last minute, because for the first half of the show I can sit with Larten in regular clothes and change right before I go on stage.

Spraying a few more spurts of hair spray in his permanently dyed vibrant-orange hair, Larten stood and looked down at me with a cocky, childish grin.

"Honestly you spend more time on your hair than the whole Cirque." I glare up at him.**Original text**

"Sorry, we're not all beings of magic who can do things with a click of their fingers." He said in a playful tone. I rolled my eyes.

One of the dancers settles into the vanity chair, completely ignoring us. Much to Mr. Tall's dismay, many members of the audience only come for the half-naked dancers, but usually end up staying for the memorizing main acts. The bottle of mascara she held produced little to no result as she tried to blink it onto her eyes. Taking pity on her, I flick my wrist I produce a white, fluffy cloud around her head. The powder cleared seconds later to reveal that her makeup and hair was done. She looked up, surprised, and turned to face us.

"Don't touch me, you witch! They ought to have burned you and the rest of your kind when they still could!" She spat, and stormed dramatically out of the caravan.

Slightly stunned I stood there a moment.

"Your welcome!" I eventually call after her, sarcastically. "Come on, let's go" I mumble to Larten, who was glaring daggers at the door from which she exited. I turn and walk out into the camp grounds and, after some mumbled profanities, Larten follows after me.

The Cirque really is beautiful at night, a summer breeze blew in from the east and the candles and lanterns set up cast a warm glow over the area. In the distance, about 100 meters away from the temporary homes of societies misfits, stands the big top. A swirl of red, yellow, blue and green painted canvas supported by twenty to fifty foot tall beams marks the current position of the most incredible show on earth.

I lay my back against a tree and carefully bend the branches above me apart to see the clear night sky. Larten lay down next to me in silence, it was about 9:10ish by now I would think, meaning we still have about 50 minutes until show time. People would start arriving at about 9:30, and we would sneak into the audience after all the paying costumers had their seats.

But for now I was just enjoying the fresh air and slight back ground noise of familiar voices as I gazed up at the stars, tracing the constellations with my eyes.

"See there?" I point up to a constellation, Larten narrowed his eyes, as if he couldn't see it. "That's Orion" I say, letting white magic seep through my index finger and out line the swords man of the sky. Things like this would often happen before and after shows, when I would show Larten constellations that he has seen thousands of times before. I was always soothed and un-nerved when it came to space, and how there are beings out there that could be able to crumble galaxies while barely lifting a finger.

"Skai?" I shook my head slightly, trying to clear my mind of the day dream that had unfolded in the middle of my astronomy lesson. I turned my head to Larten, his eyes full of concern, like they had been this morning.

"Sorry, day dreaming, what is it?" I smiled, his eyes were searching mine, what they were trying to find I don't know. A loud, booming voice shocked us out of our staring contest.

_"__Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Cirque du Freak!"_ Echoed across the field from the big top and we found our selves running as fast as we could through the long grass and wild flowers. How had 50 minutes gone by so fast? Fireflies and mosquitoes buzzed around us and sharp plants dug into my bare feet. By the time we got there we had to wait a minute outside to get sorted out and catch our breath.

Mr. Tall probably knew we were late arriving, because not only did we find two empty aisle seats right away, but the ringleader was going into very specifique detail about how all the acts are real and can be very dangerous blah, blah, blah. He quickly wrapped up his speech and for the opening act, the dancers came out to perform a small number.

Following the dancers was Gervil, introduced as a man who could breath fire, who accidentally drops a match and is engulfed in flames, who then reveals that he is actually a flame resistant man. Followed by Rax, the human hammer, then Merletta, in which act she would be performing alone, Larten only assisted in the second half, after he had time to enjoy part of the show up front. Following them was the intermission, where I would leave Larten and the audience and go back stage to figure out my finale.

On my way out I noticed something, or someone, rather, sitting in the back left corner, almost completely in the shadows. He, or at least I _think_ it's a he, had moved his chair away from the others and was covered completely in black clothing. He seemed to be surveying the room, as if looking for something. He, _it_, briefly looks my way, staring straight through the crowds, like a sword cutting through air before landing into it's target. On that grisly note I quickly exit the tent, my heart beating faster than it should.

Back stage was a mess of bright colours, powder dust, frantic stage managers and performers rushing about, and loud voices making a very disorienting scene. Which I tried my best to avoid by grabbing an apple from the small buffet placed against a wall, and sat on a crate, watching, listening but not interfering. I would have sat there in happy silence had it not been for Laveesha, the tattooed lady, asking for advice on her act.

"I want to make it more exciting, I know that psychic tattoos are amazing, but I feel like I always do the same thing, you know? Anyway, you're good at changing your act swiftly, do you have any advice?" Laveesha is a beautiful woman, with wavy black hair, full, red lips and piercing green eyes. Even without her tattoos she would be a mesmerizing act. I ponder her question, swallowing a bite of apple.

"I don't know, can you control your tattoos at will?" I ask finally, the only thing I could think of would be for her to create scenes that would interest the audience.

Before she had a chance to respond Mr. Tall took to the stage again, introducing the one and only Laveesha, who gulped and smiled at me. I smiled back, reassuringly, not entirely sure if I had helped or not.

The show continued as usual, after Laveesha, Merletta took to the stage again, inviting a 'member of the audience' to help her in her act, at which point Larten took to the stage. After their act, he joined me on my crate, and watched as Salabas Skin carried on with his act of pulling his abnormally stretchy skin and tying it in bows and such things.

After Salabas, Verus, Merletta's husband, marveled the audience with the ability to control their speech. Usually Deemanus Dodge would follow, but he had recently left the Cirque to get married, leaving me as the final performer.

Mr. Tall went out on stage and, in his booming voice commanded silence.

"Ladies and gentlemen this concludes the show for tonight. If you will please-" at which point I rushed out on stage, still in my regular clothes, but now in the form of a toddler, getting aws from various women in the audience.

"Wait!" I wailed, in a high pitched voice. "Y-you forg-got me-e-e!" I said tearing up.

"Now, Skai, we talked about this" He stage whispered, loud enough for the whole audience to hear. The women were started yelling at the owner, demanding he let me perform, so he sighs dramatically. "Very well, Ladies and gentlemen, our last act, Skai, the indescribable girl." He said, exiting and leaving me alone on the stage.

Waiting tree very long seconds, I look up through my lashes at the audience and change back to original form, only now wearing a black and white swirled leotard. The audience erupts with applause, realizing the little exchange between the giant and I was all a trick. I continue my act, sending black and white puffs of smoke trough the audience, changing the colour and design of my costume, and adding some flying acrobatics to add an extra bit of flare to my act.

Finishing my act by vanishing in a puff of smoke, I stayed vanished until I made outside. I could hear the thunderous applause coming from the big top, and I knew that many members of the audience would want to meet me in the after show party, but I wasn't one for meet and greets.

Letting out a breath I resumed visibility and continued walking back towards my shared tent with Larten, ready to go to bed, when I heard footsteps behind me.

Turning, I noticed a man approaching me. No, not _a_ man, _the_ man! The man from the shadows! I stopped dead in my tracks, and in a blur of black movement he was upon me. Standing maybe a meter away, and though it wasn't cold, I could see my breath coming out in cold puffs in front me.

"Hello, Skai" He said, his voice oddly familiar.

"I'm sorry, I really don't like talking to people about my act, so if you don't mind.." I say awkwardly, hoping he would leave me alone, but knowing fully that he won't. Instead he lets out a barking laugh.

"I'm not here about the show, _Phoenix_!" I take a step back, magic humming at my finger tips, ready to fight, defend, or run. Which ever came first.

"Oh yes, I know what you are, I met a friend of yours in that little town over there." _So he knows what happened to the other Phoenix!_

"What happened to them, the other of my kind?"

"I killed it" He spat, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that a smirk had now formed under the black cloth covering the man's mouth.

"Who _are_ you?"

"_I'm one of the twenty four blackbirds_"


	4. Within Dark Shadows

**!TRIGGER WARNING!**

Implied rape suggestions **Please do not read **if you are sensitive to this trigger

I had been running for 150 rough years before things changed. After I met my nightmare, I had turned tail and ran. This man was obviously one of magic, but my magic was stronger. I managed to run all the way across the world, but I couldn't stop there. Though I was sure that _that_ blackbird was no longer a threat, the other 23 still concerned me. I kept running, never staying anywhere for long. As to not draw attention to myself, I became a full grown woman of 17. I lay low for so long that I almost forgot what I was hiding from, but then some thing happened, and I met him.

**O**Contribute a better translation

* * *

It was close to midnight, in a small city outside of Edinburgh. It was colder then my comfort temperature, but an extra layer took care of that. It was also a full moon, which meant that more magic would be in the air than usual. I walked down an alley, and too late did I realize that it was occupied.

"Hey there, lil lady" came a drunken slur from my left, and a small shuffling sound. As I turned around something bony and sweaty closed around my wrist raising it above my head. In that same instance, something hard pressed my body against the brick alley wall. I let out a startled gasp and the man pressed his mouth against mine, I could taste the alcohol on his tongue and my eyes filled tears as realization washed over me. So I did the only thing I could think of, though probably not the smartest. I bit down as hard as I could on his tongue, and soon tasted the coppery tang of his blood. He broke off the 'kiss' with a howl. "You _bitch_!" He yelled and I felt something hard connect with the side of my head. I let out a sharp scream of pain before his hand came up and slapped me roughly. "Shut _up_!" He yelled, my vision blurred, Iwas going to black out.

_"__Hey!"_ I heard faintly and black dots began to spot my sight. I felt the body of my attacker leave mine, followed by what seemed let sounds of a beating, but my head hit the ground soon after and everything went black.

I woke up with a start, not quite sure what happened, but as I tasted blood in my mouth I quickly remembered. The man, the alley. I spat the blood out of my mouth quickly, groaning as I hauled my self off the old hard wood floor. I looked around, confused. _This_ was _not_ the alley I had been in last night. _This_ was an old house of some kind, with hard wood floors, and pale green wall paper. Torn wall paper, actually, and the floor board creaked when I sat up.

My head was killing me, and a bruise had formed around my wrist. I noticed a mirror at the far end of the room and, with some initial difficulty, got up to see what damage had been inflicted on my face. My joints cracked and the throbbing increased at my temples as I crossed the room, I made it to my destination and let out a small gasp. I had a large bruise forming under my eye and across my check bone from being slapped, creating quite the contrast between my usual pale white skin and a black-purple spot. I had clumps of dried blood around my hairline, which blended in to my waist length auburn hair rather harshly. My dark blue eyes seemed nothing but tired as I raised my hand my waved it in front of my face, masking the bruise and cleaning off the blood. As I was admiring the shimmering affect the magic had, someone let out a half-conscious grunt. Startled, I jumped and spun around, but what I saw almost amused me!

There, slouched against a wall on the opposite side of the room, was large, tanned, scarred man, wearing purple animal hides and sporting green, spiky hair. Beside him lay a belt of odd, circular, spiked metal things. The man himself was currently trying to blink himself awake, and looking around the room. His eyes finally landed on me, his expression changing from confusion to concern faster then anyone's ever should. He bolted up right, crossing the room in three long strides.

"Are you okay? How do you feel? Do you need anything?" He asked rapidly, taking hold of my shoulders and leaning down to my eye level, searching my face and eyes for signs of anything. I simply stared at him, dumb struck.

"Um, I'm sorry but, uh.. Who are you?" I asked after a moment, he stared blankly at me, before releasing me and letting out a loud, boisterous laugh. His chest heaved and his shoulders shook as he threw his head back, leaving me to stare, awkwardly until this sudden laughing fit subsided.

He finally calms down, wiping tears from his eyes and chuckling slightly.

"Ahh" He sighs "That's _right_! We don't know each other! I'm Vancha" He says, smiling and holding out his hand, "Vancha March."

"Skai" I say, and hesitantly take hold of his hand.

"Well, Skai, _are_ you okay?" He asks again, very seriously. I let go of his hand and nod, confused slightly about how he would know what happened, and even further more about how I ended up here.

"Um, do you mind if I ask how I got here and how you know about last night?" I ask, looking away, slightly embarrassed about not knowing already.

"Right, he had knocked you out by the time I got there." He mumbled, nodding to himself. "Well, I heard a scream and went to see that all was ok, but what I saw was.." He trailed off, clenching his fists.

"Right, I-I know that part" I say, shuffling my feet, still looking at the ground.

"Yeah, so anyway I couldn't leave you there so I, _intervened_" I knew from his tone that he meant that he beat my attacker up. After a short silence, he continued. "Anyway, after that I saw that you had blacked out, and he had beaten up your face and, Wait, what happened to the bruise?" He asked.

"Makeup" I replied shortly, I'm not about to tell him that I used magic, he'd think I was crazy.

"Oh, so, yeah, I didn't want you to have to wake up in an alley, or for him to wake up and find you and.. Anyway, I took you here but by the time we got here, it was sun up so I couldn't leave so" He gestured to the room "here we are."

"Why does sun up have anything to do with your ability to leave?" I ask curiously before I could stop myself. "I'm sorry, that probably sounded extremely rude! I-"

"It's fine, this is going to sound weird to you but, I think you deserve the truth" He interrupted "…I'm a vampire" He added meekly.

_"__There are tradition vampires, to!" Larten added excitedly. "They live like the old vampires, before the war with the vampaneze." I laughed at his goofy grin._

_"__I don't think you're cut out to be a traditional vampire" I smirk._

_"__Why not?" He asked in a pout._

_"__Because then you'd have to live with out hairspray!"_

"Hey, hello? Hey, you sure you're okay?" Vancha took hold of my shoulders again. I blinked, re-focusing my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry! I just, blanked out for a second there" My voice faded out. That conversation had happened when I first re-joined the Cirque. Larten was so excited about having someone around who was his age that we ended up spilling all our secrets to each other. "Sorry, It's just.. You're a tradition vampire, aren't you?" He seemed taken aback.

"Uh, yeah, how'd you know that?"

"I knew someone who was a vampire once, well, he was going to be a vampire at least."

"Oh! Well who was he, I might know him!" Vancha smiled and sat down on the floor, like an excited toddler. I couldn't help but sit next to him.

"His name is Larten Crepsley, and I met him at the Cirque du Freak"

"But, he hasn't been to the Cirque in over a hundred years" A frown creased the vampire's forehead. I gave him a pointed look. His large eyes widened and I feared they might pop out his head. "Bu- wha- h-how? You can't be more then 20 years old!?" I smirked back at him.

"Looks can be deceiving" I say, changing into a mirrored version of him my new friend, then to one of a young Larten, and back my form. A smile started to appear on his face, which then turned into a grin, and soon we were both rolling around in hysterics on the floor.

After our fit had passed, we continued talking for hours, about vampires, and nothing, until the sun went down and Vancha had to leave. As he turned to go, he stopped and turned back to me, hands on his hips.

"You know, I never did ask you, what _were_ you doing in that alley in the first place?" I thought for a bit.

"You know, I really don't know. I've been running for so long that wandering has become an occupational hazard!"

"Running? From what?"

"It's a long story, 150 years long actually." I said to myself.

"Really, have you spent all that time alone?" He asked, frowning.

"Yeah, actually." I laughed, looking back up at him.

"Didn't you ever get _lonely_ though?"

"I guess I never really thought about it before" I furrowed my brow slightly, looking into his eyes. They held so much, but right now there was only sadness. But then, something changed, and that sadness was replaced with mischief.

"Well, alone you shall be no more!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms out, grinning.

"What do you mean?" He grabbed my hand and hauled me up.

"You could travel with me! Vampires never stay anywhere long, like you, plus you wouldn't be alone! Neither of us would _ever_ have to be alone! What d'ya say?" He asked after a very spirited speech. A slow grin crept onto my face at the childish excitement on his.

"Why the hell not?"


	5. Snow peaked treasures

The years went by fast, life with Vancha March was never boring. I had been with him for ten years, and I learned much about his life. About how he had been raised the Lady Evanna, and how he had learned of how the vampires of old lived and why he had chosen to live like them. I, in return, told him of my people, and where I came from.

"So, if you live forever, how old are you now?" He asked one night as we sat by a fire. He picked his toe nails as I cooked some of the deer meat he hadn't eaten raw.

"Um, I don't know" I say, looking up from the flames and into the darkness, furrowing my brow trying to remember. "Maybe about… 1000, or so." I say, returning to my concentration to the meat.

"1000!" I looked over to the vampire, eyebrow raised in question. He had abandoned his toe nail picking, in favor of staring at me, slack-jawed and wide-eyed. I blinked back, shaking my head.

"Uh, yeah, give or take a few years, you know." I shrugged, picking my deer meat off the fire with the poking stick and taking a bite out of it. It was slightly charred, but still good. I then heard odd noises coming from my right. I turn to see Vancha struggling to contain his laughter. As soon as we made eye contact he lost it, doubling over and almost rolling straight into the fire.

This had become rather usual through out my years with him. Whenever I would release a piece of information about myself, it always ended with him laughing his ass off and me staring at him with a blank expression. I returned to my deer and waited for his most recent fit to finish, which it did after a few minutes.

"Ahh, haha! And here I was thinking _I_ was old!" He laughed, sitting back up again. I smiled slightly. Silence ensued for a while after that, apart from my chewing and Vancha's, well, _habits_ that came with living alone in the wild for so long.

"Hey, how would you like to go to Vampire Mountain?" He asked suddenly, turning to face me eagerly.

"Vampire Mountain?" I had heard of this place before, back in my days at the Cirque with Larten. It was supposedly a sacred place to vampires, where there princes resided and festival took place ever 12 years or so. Vancha nodded rapidly, the answer he wanted evident by his actions, but I was still hesitant. "Isn't that a place of specialty for vampires, like your head quarters? I don't think I would be welcomed." I frown.

"Nonsense, it'll be fun! The festival of the undead is coming up, and I want to see Larten, Wester, and Kurda again!"

"Larten will be there?" I perk up slightly at the mention of his name. I hadn't seen him in so long!

"He'd better be!" Vancha laughed, "C'mon, it'll be fun! There's lots of drinking, and fighting, and-and, uh, drinking! _Please_!" He extended the please until I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Fine!" I almost yelled. His eyes light up with childish glee and he let out an, obviously fake, girlish gasp of delight. Before I knew it, I had been knocked off my rock and crushed under Vancha in a giant bear hug.

"Thank you, thank you, _thank__ you_!" He had somehow managed to raise his voice three octaves.

"Get _off_ me you great lump!" I laugh as I try pushing him off me, failing pathetically. I suddenly became aware of how close our faces were and panic struck. With a burst of magic he flies off me letting out a, very manly, squeak and landing hard on his back.

"Gahh, magic, right." He groans, sitting up, smirking at me.

"Sorry, are you okay?" I ask, sitting up straight and stretching my back. He waves my question off, examining the state of his animal skins. I roll my eyes. "So, when do we leave for this 'festival' of yours?" I ask, standing and dusting myself off. My black, baggy knee length pants, now covered in dirt, the back of my black and purple plaid button-up probably is to, but magic can take care that. I go to help Vancha up, when he hoists himself up swiftly, cracking many of his joints in the process.

"Well, that depends on how early you want to get there, if we leave tomorrow, we would be maybe, 3 or 4 days early." He said, scratching his chin.

"How long does it take to get there?"

"A few weeks, we're not allowed to flit on the route to the mountain, and the terrain is tough, mapped out carefully so that only the strongest vampires make it. And we're not allowed hiking gear, or shoes."

"Well, I've got that last part covered." I smile, looking down and wiggling my bare toes. I've never worn shoes, couldn't get used to them, though I often got strange looks from passers-by when they saw a well dressed girl with no shoes. "I think that leaving tomorrow would be best, that way we have time to rest before the celebrations." I say, looking back up at the vampire.

"Aye." He nods. "Well, the nights still young, let's make some progress right off the bat." He exclaims, stomping out the fire and grabbing his shurikens (as I have been informed that they are called), and started walking north-east. I jogged to catch up with him as we started our journey for the mountain. The vampire and the Phoenix, what could go possibly wrong?

"_Fuck _it's cold!" I cursed and shivered. The snow was up to my knees and the wind was vicious. We had been traveling for two weeks now, and though Vancha says that we are getting close, my patience is wearing thin.

"Well, we're pretty far north, this is as cold as it gets!" He side glances at me. "Are you okay?" I could hear the worry in his voice, I look up at him and flash a quick smile.

"Yeah, don't worry about me." We were in the midst of climbing a huge hill of ice, rock and snow. As we neared the top, I felt my spirits lifting, like if we cleared this hill we would be there. As we got to the top Vancha let out a loud 'whoop'. "What? What is it?" I tried to increase my speed up the hill, but the numbness in my legs made sure _that _didn't happen.

"There it is!" He yelled back at me. "Vampire Mountain!" I finally make it to the top and find myself looking at an enormous mountain, with the moon high above it, a very picturesque scene.

"Wow, I've never been happier to see a hunk of rock in my whole life!" I sighed.

"Hey, that 'hunk of rock' is very special to me!" He nudges me gently, but a smile creeps onto his face revealing the joke. We laugh a bit, the Vancha claps his hands loudly and turns back to me. "Well, are we just going to stand here and admire the view? Let's go!"

Before I could stop him, Vancha had grasped my hand and was pulling me down the hill after him. There were still a kilometer or two to go, but I couldn't help but feel the journey was finally over.

After a short trek through a small valley, and a difficult climb up the mountain side, we were finally in one of the many tunnels of the mountain. I followed Vancha closely for this part, he had explained all the dangers of the tunnels and how one wrong turn could get you seriously lost, hurt, or even killed. We soon came upon a large set of doors, guarded by, well, guards. They carried spears and there was no doubt that they had concealed weapons as well. They did not wear amour, but the looked well trained and fierce, this was probably not an easy position to get.

"Address yourselves to the gate!" One of them barked, raising his spear menacingly.

"Vancha March, come to seek council" Vancha barked back. The guard pointed his spear to me now.

"Skai, come to seek council" I mimic, slightly hesitant.

"Vancha March is recognized by the gate, 'Skai' is not." The guard barks again, spear still raised at me.

"I vouch for her." Vancha speaks up, stepping in front of me. The guards lower their weapons.

"Skai is recognized by the gate, you may enter." He shouts and the door swings open, we walk towards it and Vancha bumps me with his shoulder, grinning like an alley cat.

"Welcome, to Vampire Mountain!"


	6. The Cat Came Back

I got odd looks as I walked through the tunnels of Vampire Mountain, as if the inhabitants knew I was different. We came to the doors of a great hall, the 'Hall of Osca Velm', as Vancha had told me. There weren't many Vampires there, and the ones that were there ignored us, probably tired from the trip here.

"So, how're you liking the great Vampire Mountain so far?" Vancha asked, plopping himself down at an empty table. There was bread and meat, raw and cooked, passed to us by a shirtless, younger vampire. Later, three small barrel-type things filled with water, wine, and human blood were given to us well as.

"It's strange, but I guess it would be to me. I've been on my own for so long that it's weird to think that I have a place to share with so many people for a few days." I shrug, taking a piece of bread that I had chosen earlier and chewing a bite out of it.

Vancha had explained before our arrival how there was a resting hall, where we could eat and drink before venturing into the mountain. He also told me how there we no cups, plates, or cutlery, that I only take what I can eat, and I have to drink straight from the barrels. It was an odd way to dine, but compared to my lifestyle choices of the past, this was almost luxurious!

"Well, many vampires will be interested in you, I think you'll notice!" He smirked and continued gnawing on a piece of raw meat.

"Why is that?" Quirking my head to the side and raising an eyebrow. He looked up at me through his lashes and swallowed his meat, burping loudly afterwards.

"For one," he held up his index finger, "There aren't many female vampires, you might only meet one or two, if any! And two," he raised his middle finger beside his index, "If anyone learns that you're not a vampire _or_ a human, things could get interesting." He said the last part more to himself as he leaned back and looked me over, stroking his chin.

I opened my mouth to release a sarcastic reply, when someone called out from the other side of the hall.

"_Vancha_!" A man roared. He looked rather young, maybe 25-ish, and was very muscular. He had a tall frame giving him an imposing air, and had thick, oddly cut red-brown hair that shagged over his eyes. He was currently hurling himself to our table, arms out stretched and a goofy grin plastered onto his face.

"Wester!" Vancha stood and grasped the man by the shoulders, giving him his own grin. I watched the exchange between the two vampires with interest and barely noticed the other two figures approaching the table until they were upon us.

"Hello, Vancha March" A new voice startled me. An older man was smiling kindly at the young vampires, he had a grey beard and was balding. He wore all red and looked maybe 60-ish in human years.

"Seba! And Larten, I didn't think you would all show up when we did!" Vancha laughed, greeting the two remaining vampires.

Larten? _That's Larten_? He had matured since I had last seen him. He was very tall, taller then both Wester and Seba, and he had filled out. He still had florescent orange hair, styled into an odd kind of quiff.

"_We_?" Seba asked, looking curiously at Vancha. I stood up nervously, as I locked eye contact with the older man.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Skai." I say awkwardly, scratching the back of my head and glancing at the ground.

"Oh! Hello there!" He said, extending his hand in greeting. "My name is Seba Nile, and these are my assistants, Wester Flack and Larten Crepsley." I shook his hand, and then Wester's. When I turned to Larten he stared at me, eyes wide in recognition.

"Skai?" He said breathlessly.

"Hi Larten, been a while, eh?" I smiled.

"It has been 160 years!" He whispered again.

"Yeah, I know." I replied, uncomfortably aware of the fact that the rest of the group had stopped their conversation and was staring at us.

I suddenly felt myself engulfed in two strong arms as Larten pulled me into a close hug.

"I thought you dead." He sighed.

"I'm sorry"

After a long talk, getting up to date with where and what everyone had been up to, we finally left the Hall of Osca Velm in favor of finding our rooms. An assistant of the quartermaster (who is in charge of making the mountain habitable) began leading us through the twisting tunnels to the living quarters.

"So, how did you end up with Vancha?" Wester asked. As if cued, Vancha and I both glanced sideways at each other, neither of us really wanting to have to relive my close call in the alley.

"Um, maybe another time." I suggest, looking back at Wester with a weird half-smile.

"Oh c'mon! It can't be _that_ bad!" He laughed, nudging me lightly. I stumbled slightly, but caught myself before I bumped into Vancha. He obviously hadn't picked up on the hint I dropped.

"Leave it for now" Vancha almost growled, sending a light glare at the other vampire. The tension soon lifted at we got to our rooms, _separate _rooms, thank god! Vancha's great and all, but after so many years spent in solitude, he can be a little over bearing.

The room itself was nice, not too big, and there was a small desk in the corner. I'm not sure what it would be used for, considering most vampires are illiterate, but it did make the room more welcoming. On the desk there was an ink well and quill, as well as a few candles and matches. Against the right wall lay a coffin, which seemed to be the only thing to sleep in. I frowned at it. I had never slept in a coffin and did not intend to. So I did the only sensible thing I could think of and simply levitated it onto the high ceiling so that it was out of the way.

A knock came from my door and soon after the face of Vancha March poked it's way through, followed by the rest of him.

"Whoa" He exclaimed as he followed my gaze to my ceiling-coffin, and let out a small chuckle. "Usually I just ask to mine removed from my room, but that works to!" We stood there staring at the ceiling for a few long moments before he cleared his throat. "Anyway, I was just wondering if you'd like a tour of the mountain now, or if you wanted to sleep a bit first." He spat in his hand a smoothed it through is bristly, green hair. It was a very unattractive habit, but one I had learned to live with.

I thought for a moment, but as I opened my mouth to answer a yawn left instead. Vancha let out a bubbling laugh and smirked at me.

"Guess that answers that! I'll see you in the morning, Skai." He smiled and turned the knob leading back to the tunnels.

"Night" I replied sleepily, as I lay down on the ground, closed my eyes, and slept.


	7. Winding Darkness

_He was here, I could sense it. It was pitch black and no matter how hard I tried, no spark came from my finger tips. Blood blurred my vision, the cool, dark liquid pouring from a gash in my forehead. I felt dizzy, but less from blood loss, and more from the fact that I couldn't tell left from right, or up from down, in this black abyss I had found myself in. _

_I tried calling out, first to whoever was there, then just frantic screaming, but no sound came out._

_"__Aw, poor little bird, clipped her wings, but still, she tries to fly!" He called out, I reached for the chain around my neck, but no silver meets my eager fingers. "Looking for something?" He asked, then, a light shone in front of me, my pendant! I tried to run but my legs wouldn't move. I heard the distant echo of rattled chains, only it wasn't distant at all! The sound was echoing from my feet, abdomen, wrists, around the room and back again. _

_Suddenly, a bright light shone down on me. I shut my already stinging eyes, soon reopening them, slowly. The room around me was dirty and covered with blood, and there were dozens of chains and shackles on all four walls. All of them had bones underneath them, drenched with water, and a silver pendant hung above them on the wall._

_The remains of my people._

_I tried to scream out again, cry, do anything, but nothing happened. I looked down to see the same chains held me in place, and, in the center of the room, stood a man covered from head to toe in black._

_"__Ah, now, now, don't have a fit! You weren't the ones crying when you killed my people, now _were_ you?" He approached menacingly. Tears of confusion left my eyes, I wanted to scream at him that he was insane. He got closer, and took hold of my shoulders and shook me violently. _

"Skai! Skai! God damn it, _wake up_!"

I shot up right, panting. My throat was painfully dry, and my palms and eyes felt wet. My whole body was drenched in sweat. Sweat stuck my shirt to my back and chest, as well as my thighs to my, usually, loose pants. My whole body was shaking, shivering. Though I'm not sure if from fear, or cold.

I looked up to see the concerned faces of Larten and Vancha standing over me, the same look graced Seba, and a terrified Wester standing in my door way.

"Oh my god!" Vancha cursed and sat back, he was sweating to.

The stench of blood filled my nostrils; I looked down to see that I had dug my finger nails deep into my palms.

"What happened?" I croaked, coughing slightly, trying to ease the roughness of my throat.

"You were screaming, and that woke us up. When we got in here you had your eyes wide open, but you weren't seeing anything! You were hurting yourself," Vancha motioned to my hands, which were still stinging, "crying, thrashing around, and yelling at someone that they were crazy, to let you go." He took a deep breath to control his breathing. "It took us 15 minutes to get through to you." He looked back at me, his eyes were deeply pained.

"I'm so sorry." I sighed, wiping my eyes and looking back up at everyone.

"Do not apologize, are you okay?" Larten asked, kneeling down beside me. I nodded, healing my hands and cleaning away the blood. The stinging sensation remained though, as well as an odd ache on the knuckles of my right hand. He sighed, "I had hoped you had stopped having nightmares." A frown graced his features, and he averted his gaze to the ground. It saddened me to think that these people were so concerned with me, even if I cause them nothing but pain and trouble.

"She hadn't had them for a few weeks," Vancha said seriously, wiping the sweat from his brow. He was shaking a bit as well, and a bruise was forming on the line of his jaw, which made me realize what had caused the pain in my knuckles. "I've never seen her have one this violent though!" He leaned down and helped me up. I wobbled slightly on my feet, but he held onto me tightly, as if I were a china doll that would break if I fell.

I smiled reassuringly up at him and he let me go.

"Sorry if I scared you" I said sheepishly, turning to Wester, who was as pale as a sheet. Seba patted his back and smiled sympathetically, though I'm not sure who the smile was directed to.

"Do not worry about him." The older man smiled.

"What was this one about?" I turned back to Vancha, who stood rigidly behind me. "The same as the others?" I nodded, but it wasn't really. This one was much more vivid. It was too real.

"What do you mean? What were the others about?" Larten asked, displeased that he no longer knew all my troubles. Vancha raised an eyebrow in question.

"You don't know about _them_?" He asked, and turned back to me, giving me a pointed look. I shook my head.

"About who?" Larten asked, glaring slightly at Vancha and I.

"The Black Birds."

"So, that is why you ran away without warning that night." Larten stroked his chin in understanding. We were sitting in the Hall Khledon Lurt, the dinning hall, having decided it would be best to explain my predicament while eating breakfast.

"Again, sorry about that" I apologized awkwardly. "I didn't want to endanger the Cirque by returning, plus they had already found me there, so I couldn't go back in case they were watching for me." I stared at the bread I was holding in my palms, not wanting to eat yet, in fear that I might throw up.

"Have you encountered anymore of these 'Black Birds'?" He was very keen on knowing all about the tormenters of my dreams.

I had actually seen one in Italy, though it might have just been a man dressed in black, I fled before I could get a closer look. I hadn't told anyone about that, so I shook my head. No need to get all fussed about a possible sighting that happened 50 or so years ago.

My answer seemed to please him, though, and Larten returned to his bat broth.

"How long have you been having these nightmares?" Wester piped up. He had still been quite shaken when we got to the hall, but a few large gulps of blood seemed to help him regain his composure.

"I've been having them for almost my entire life." I reply solemnly.

"But, that's over a thousand years!" Vancha gasps.

"_A thousand years_!?" Wester shouts. We hush him, though the noise of the hall seemed to mask his remark. "Sorry, but _a thousand years_? Not even vampires live that long!" He said, quietly this time.

"Well, technically I haven't been alive for a thousand consecutive years, I've died dozens of times, but with the whole re-birth thing, you know?" I shrug, tossing my bread from hand to hand, still not really wanting to eat it just yet. He stared at me for a moment, before breaking out in fit of laughter.

We stared at him, confused. I didn't understand how being tormented by nightmares for a thousand years was a laughing matter, and still didn't when he had finally finished, wiping his eyes of the tears that bubbled out.

"Sorry" He sighed contentedly, still laughing slightly, "it's just how you said it so nonchalantly!" He started laughing again.

I cracked a small grin, I guess my phrasing was a bit odd!

"I guess I don't think of the concept of living for so long as strange anymore." I let out a small laugh, and take a small bite of bread. The mood seemed to lighten some after that. Soon we were talking less seriously, about the festival and all the vampires I have to meet.

When we had finished breakfast Seba had some business with one of the princes, Paris Skyle, which left us with only the idea of a tour of the mountain to cure our boredom.

I already knew the mountain was huge, but the tunnels that ran through it were a huge, winding mess of confusion! We walked for what seemed like miles, from the dinning hall, to the icy showers, to the hall of death, and finally…

"This, is my favorite hall," Vancha smirked down at me, then looking back up at the huge doors and, with a loud swish of air, opened them to reveal hundreds of vampires fighting each other in close, armed, and unarmed combat. "Welcome, to the hall of sport!" 


	8. White magic

The hall was filled with spears, swords, axes and various other weaponry on every wall. The ground was filled with eager vampires, fighting and jeering each other. In the middle of it all was a large structure of thin wooden bars, where vampires leapt from bar to bar, trying to whack each other of with long staffs.

Beside the great structure stood a large, short haired red headed vampire, and next to him was a small, young looking man with long blond hair. The larger seemingly teaching the other of to hold a spear properly.

We crossed the hall with care, staying away from the crazed fighting, and soon found ourselves in the middle of the room. The red head looked up from his student and smiled at us.

"Well look at you! See Kurda, _these_ are vampires!" He boomed, 'Kurda' scowled at his teacher.

"Vanez!" Vancha greeted, shaking the vampire's hand firmly. "Skai, this is Vanez Blane, games master of Vampire Mountain, and Vanez, this is Skai, a friend of mine and Larten's." He introduces us. I hold out my hand for him to shake, but instead he takes it and raises it to his lips.

"My lady" he says, charmingly, bowing slightly to meet my eye level. He was tall, not quite as tall as Larten or Vancha, but he still towered of my short frame. I blush bright red, causing him to smirk as Vancha lets out a loud, barking laugh. I elbow him sharply in the gut, glaring. He continues his laugh into his next introduction.

"And this," He gestures to the blond, "is Kurda Smahlt, just barely 50 by now, eh?" Vancha slaps the young man on the shoulder, causing him to stumble a bit in response.

"Uh, yeah" Kurda says shortly over his shoulder, then turns back to me. "Pleasure to meet you." He smiles. He was only a few inches taller then me, and very handsome. He didn't look like the hardened vampires that I spend my days with. He held out his hand, which I shook briefly.

"So, what brings you to save Kurda from further humiliation?" Vanez enquires, causing Kurda to turn back and glare at him again.

"Just touring the mountain, we were hoping to find you here though." Wester answers, ignoring the small blond.

"Oh?"

"Just so that Skai isn't left here only having met two people, you know?"

"That reminds me, why is a pretty girl like your self hanging around all these grisly vampires?" Vanez turns back to me, an eyebrow raised and a smirk playing on his lips. I hold back my blush this time, shrugging.

"Series of events leading up to this point, plus I had met Larten many years ago, so…" I trailed off.

"Hmm, how long ago?" He asked, folding his arms across his large chest.

Before I could answer sword soared through the air, nearly connecting with Kurda's head. Just as the sword was millimeters away from killing the young vampire, my reflexes took over. As my arm shot out, a bolt of white magic did to, freezing the sword in mid air.

As everyone recovered from the sudden appearance of the blade, they also came to realize that it was still floating millimeters from the blond's skull. After a moment I took the sword out of the air, and handed it back to it's owner, a vampire who had rushed over here already apologizing for his weak grip. Kurda's eyes were wide as saucers, and he was panting slightly. The others were staring at me too, though Vancha had a queer smile playing on his lips.

"I _may_ have failed to mention something earlier."

I found myself alone with Vancha after the little incident in the games hall. We had explained to Vanez and Kurda about my powers, and I had excused myself to take a short walk, not wanting to have to answer any questions at the moment. Why Vancha had followed me, I do not know, but he soon started praising me after we had exited the hall.

"It came out of nowhere, and you just kinda 'zap!' and, wow!" He boasted, waving his hands around enthusiastically.

"Well I wasn't going to let him _die_!" I say exasperated and slightly annoyed.

"Hey, you okay?" He asks, concerned now, bending his neck to better view my face.

"Yeah," I sigh, "just tired, you know." It's true, my nightmare interrupted my sleep, but magic was also draining. Vancha smiles sympathetically, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah, I know." He says quietly now, but then perks up again. "Bet Kurda's getting a huge speech from Vanez right now about reflexes, he's never living this one down!" I laugh quietly at that, thinking about the small vampire trying to defend his actions against three older, more experienced ones.

"The vampires are an odd race, in my opinion." I say whimsically to Vancha.

"How so?" He quirks his eyebrow, almost tauntingly.

"They mix pride with stupidity, and some never figure out the difference. My actions were quicker then yours and Kurdas, because my people are trained for a hundred years after birth how to fight, and many of them come out hard and unloving afterwards. We are taught that losing is shameful, and wining is only satisfactory. So really, it's only expected of me to have saved Kurda, because not being able to would put shame on my father's name." I think out loud.

"Wow, I never thought someone like you would have to worry about something like that." He looks down at me again, a frown creasing his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've always been such a free spirit, from what I've seen. What was it like?"

"Well, you spend 10 years exactly developing a specific skill. At the end of those ten years, there would be a judgment passed on whether or not you were satisfactory. If you were, you were aloud to move onto the next skill." I say in a half daze, thinking about those hundred years, cringing.

"And, if you weren't?" Vancha pulled me out of the way of a group of rowdy 'cubs', as the vampires called them.

"Best case scenario, you would redo the ten years of training, but that in it's self is very shameful. It means that you are behind the others and are less worthy than them. If you _really_ screwed up, you would be banished from our race, and if you ever crossed paths with another of our kind you would be forced to let them duel you."

"Dueling can't be _that_ bad, really." Vancha muses, I turn to him, my face very serious.

"The duels between two of my kind always end in blood and carnage, and only one is left alive." I say solemnly, turning back to our path.

We were still wandering aimlessly. Vancha seemed very interested in the ways of my people, and frankly I didn't mind telling.

"But sometimes," I add, still somewhat in a trance, memories clouding my vision. "there were special cases, where a Phoenix would be found unfit to be a member of my race. Maybe they were lazy and didn't try hard enough, or maybe they were just weak. In a case of this kind the Phoenix in question will have not only brought shame to their name, but also to the name of my people. In these cases, there was only one option…" I trail off.

"And that is..?" Vancha presses.

"Death"

_The walls glowed bright as the floating lanterns dancing around them. Some sort of ceremony was about to begin, but I didn't know which one._

_"__Papa, what is going on?" I ask, tugging on my father's tail coat. I was only about three feet tall and barely four years old. _

_"__Here" My father lifted me up into his arms so I could see over the crowd._

_A man stood on a raised platform, he was blind folded and naked. He had no pendant hanging around his neck, like the rest of us. Below him, on a lower platform, stood one of our leaders, his name, Wyn, the platform also held a large goblet filled with a black and purple liquid._

_"__This man is unworthy of the honorable way of the Phoenixes! He is lazy and does not live up to our standards! He will undergo the punishment of death!" Our leader held up the man's pendant for all to see, and threw it into the goblet._

_For a moment nothing happened, but as the pendant sunk into the thick liquid, the man began to cry out in pain._

_"__What is happening papa? Why is he screaming?" I asked confused._

_"__Watch and you will see, child." My father replied._

_I did as my father said, and sure enough, moments later the man's stomach began to glow bright red. Soon after, a hole had burned through and the black liquid of the goblet poured out. This began happening all over his body, and soon he had disappeared into nothing but a large puddle on the ground._

_"__That, my child, is what awaits you if you fail your training. Do not fail me, my child"_

"Skai, are you okay? Hello? Skai?" I blink my eyes rapidly, my vision returning to the present. Vancha stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders, eyes searching my face, like the day we met.

"Sorry, zoned out for a minute there." I mumbled**O**Contribute a better translation

* * *

.

"Jeez, you scared me!" He said, sounding slightly relieved, though. I furrowed my brow.

"What do you mean?" I asked, still shaken from my flash back.

"Your eyes!"

"What about them?"

"They turned _white_!"


	9. Black Fire

Mean while, far away in a land of twisted, blackened and burned woodlands and foul stenches, a meeting was taking place.

23 hooded creatures came through from all directions, meeting in a large clearing where the 24th stood by a large black fire.

"_Brothers_" It hissed, "_Come to the fire, and let us gaze into the wisdom of the small one._" He held out his hands by his sides, as the others arrived they joined tighter in a circle around the great flame. "_Come, destiny, and read us the prophecy_!" They chanted.

Deep within the flame, something swirled, stirred and rose. Soon, out of the fire stepped a small man in yellow galoshes and green Wellington boots. He was very old and rather fat, and he held onto a heart-shaped watch that glowed bright red.

"The prophecy remains true, the twenty four of you have 10 chances to kill the white Phoenix, two of them have come and passed, the rest shall come in the near future. But still you must find it amongst the 500 other birds that stand in your way." The short man recited, he wore a smirk which read only bad news for all.

"_In your last visit we still had nine chances left, how can this be if we have killed all Phoenixes we've met so far apart from two_!" A different hooded creature screeched.

"_They can not both be the white bird, can they_?" Another spoke up from the other side of the circle.

"There is only one, but you should be more careful, one of your chances passed you by because you did not stick to the shadows as I had advised you! Remember my advice, and remember what awaits you should you fail!" and with that, the small man stepped back into the flames and vanished.

Des Tiny walked back out of the flames into his little lair-type-thing. The humans were getting to be less and less fun as the world grew older and they kept discovering things such as 'science' and 'logic'. Though this would only keep him occupied for a small amount of time, it would still be fun!

The 'Black Birds' as they were called, are an ancient race, even older then the Phoenixes, who once had millions of kin. One day, a Black Bird was born who was strong, the mightiest their race had ever seen! He was named Wyn, and it was thought that he would grow to rule above all Black Birds and eventually dominate over all life on earth! Desmond couldn't have that, though, so he planted a though in the young bird's head.

Up until then, many Black Birds were lazy, for there was barely any competition over which was the mightiest race of them all. The humans were only just being brought into existence, and as for the beasts, they acted without discipline and were so separated that any hope for a decent government for them was nonexistent.

The thought planted into the young bird's head nagged him, about how the way of life of the Black Birds was wrong, that they should change their ways to be honorable and strong. So when he grew up, the Black Bird found the strongest of his race, made them his supporters and broke away from the race. They called themselves the Phoenixes, as they had been reborn from the ashes of a once mighty people. They used their magic to annihilate all Black Birds, and formed a government with strict requirements for all beings of this new race. As they grew to be more in number, they isolated them selves off from the rest of the world, not wanting to concern themselves with the troubles of the human race.

But in their isolation, they did not see that their enemy had survived. 24 Black Birds had lived through the biggest mass genocide the world had seen yet, and they were hungry for revenge. But, they were unsure of how to go about this revenge, so they waited for a sign. One of the beliefs of the Black Birds is that nothing can happen without a sign showing them the way.

That is when Desmond Tiny intervened again. He came upon the Black Birds and told them of a prophecy about a white Phoenix, and that if they could slay it, they could re-grow their empire and the Black Birds would once again rule the world. Though he refused to tell them who it was, he did tell them that the white Phoenix had broken away from it's race, and that targeting the base of the Phoenixes would only lead them to their deaths.

The real reason for not wanting them to target the base, though, was so that the leaders of the Phoenixes would know nothing of this secret war. It was more fun to watch as the outside players ran around in confusion, as their leaders sat back, seemingly doing nothing. If all worked out he would have a splendid war on his hands when the others realize their leaders were not trying to save them from being slaughtered.

"This is going to be _excellent_!"

"What does that mean, though?" Vancha chased after me as I walked with alarming speed trough the tunnels and back to my room. Upon arrival I flung open the door and began pacing, my mind was a whirl of thoughts, memories, prophecies. "Skai!" He took hold of my arm to stop my mad pacing, his eyes still full of concern. "Please, just tell me." He pleaded, sliding his hands down my arms to grasp mine. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, my mind was still racing in a whirl of thought, dizzying me.

"Describe exactly what you saw, how my eyes looked, and for how long." I stared into his eyes, searching for truth as he began to speak.

"Well," He blink, my request seeming to confuse him even further. "After you told me about the death penalty, you slowed down, so I turned and looked at you, to make sure you were okay. At first all looked well, but then your irises and pupils started clouding over. So I stopped walking and, well luckily no one was in the tunnel, so I started trying to get you back from where ever you had gone. When you finally responded, your eyes went back to normal." He said somewhat flustered, but his eyes spoke the truth.

"Alright, thank you." I nod and remove my hands from his. He shakes his head, then looks back up at me as I resumed my pacing.

"Wait a second, what does it mean?" He stood and watched me this time, not interrupting.

"I'm not entirely sure," I mumble, "It might be a normal phase or my people, or it might be a sign, but, there's only one way to find out." I stop pacing, thumbing my pendant curiously. "I wonder if this will work." I think out loud.

"If what will work, what are you talking about-" Vancha began asking as I pressed into a seam of the sliver knot, shooting a bright white flash of magic out and around me.

"_Skai_!"


	10. Witch Doctor

A/N, I might be starting a new story while I'm writing this one, and I'm having some personal problems that are messing me up a bit, so I will not be up dating this one every night anymore. But I will try to update it every second night if possible. Anyway, enjoy!

The air round her flashed in a blinding white light.

"_Skai_!" I yell, reaching toward the place where she had stood moments before. "Damn it!" I curse, running my hand through my spiky hair. Her words rang in my ears, '_I wonder if this will work._', that means she could have just exploded and I wouldn't know. Why the _hell_ does she do things like this? Sometimes she can be the most level headed, reasonable person you would ever meet, but sometimes she acts like a stupid little kid.

I walk out of her room, thinking of what I should do next. _Tell someone_! No, no one knows about her or her powers. _Larten does, and he knew her before, maybe he could help_. Worth a shot, I think as I walk back to the hall of sport. _Larten might not want to hear that a girl that he just found out wasn't dead might have just exploded, you know_.

"Well he'll just have to suck it up then, won't he?" I mutter gruffly to myself, getting a strange glance from a passing vampire.

As I arrive at the hall of sport, I find myself in a slight conundrum as I see that, though Larten is still here, so is Mika Ver Leth and his new assistant, miss. Arra Sails, who was once, and might still be, of romantic interest to both other vampires. I'm not sure what for, though, she's surly and has no sense of humor! But, she's strong, and a very respectable vampire, just not necessarily mating potential.

"Larten!" I call out. Three heads turned, revealing what would have been a very humorous sight had the circumstances been different. Mika was wearing his signature scowl, Larten had a quite obvious smirk of victory, and Arra just looked like she was done with life. Larten's smirk fell from his face swiftly as we made eye contact.

"What is it?" He furrowed his brow. I glanced behind him at two vampires, now staring at me, quizzically.

"Can I talk to you, _privately_?" I send I pointed glare at the others, who, with a glare from Mika, turned their backs to us.

Larten took a step forward, away from the group.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, furrowing his brow even further. I take a deep breath in.

"It's about Skai." I reply cautiously. He somehow kept his expression level, but I saw the glint in his eye flicker dangerously. "Now before you say anything," I add, cutting him off as he started voicing what was probably going to be a very, _colourful_, response. "Has she ever, perhaps, spontaneously burst into white light and disappeared before?"

"_What_!?"

"Hey, hey, shh." I hush him. Looking around to make sure we hadn't attracted any unwanted attention.

He took a deep breath.

"So she just burst into white light and vanished?" He whispered dangerously.

"Aye." I stared directly back at him. He finally nodded, averting his eyes and taking deep breaths, calming down.

"So, what do we do now?" He looked back at me, still not pleased with what had happened, but no longer looking like he was going to rip my throat out.

"Well, that's why I came to you." I sigh.

"How should I know what to do?" His anger flared up again.

"You've known her longer!" I throw my arms up but remind myself to keep my voice down.

"I knew her for a few months 150 years ago!" He shot back. He almost looked sad, as if he was just realizing how long ago that was.

"Well she seems to have told you more about this kind of stuff then me, if you don't want to help then fine!" I start, but then sigh, "I'll just sit and wait to see if she comes back." I say dejected, and turn to walk out of the games hall. Behind me I hear a small grunt and an apology, then a strong hand clasps my shoulder.

"I am doing this for my friend." He sighs when I look at him over my shoulder.

"Thought I was your friend!" I joked, he smiled and let out a short laugh. And so we walked back through the tunnels to her room, to think and see if she returns.

When I opened my eyes a cave ceiling met my gaze, followed by a low croak. I smile.

"Lady? Lady Evanna?" I call out sitting up slowly. Her frogs had circled me, croaking but not touching or threatening me.

Her cave was much like it had been the last time I visited. She had candles lit around it, and a small sitting area with a couch, a few chairs, and a coffee table. She also had a large table with many stools around it where she and her company would eat. She also had many neat inventions around here and there, but the remarkable woman herself was nowhere to be seen.

"It's very rude to just barge in to a person's home without so much as knocking first." A short, ugly, hairy woman came from out of nowhere and made her way through the wall of frogs around me. She had thick, black hair covering most of her fat body, and she wore ropes as clothing. She smiled down at me. "What on earth are you doing on the floor dear?" She asked as she hoisted me up.

"I was testing out your short cut, it worked, but it's not really a pleasant ride." I grimace, rubbing my aching back sourly.

"That's just because it's not _my_ short cut! It's one that I made you _aware _of, though I never thought you'd use it." She rubbed her bearded chin, then crinkled her nose. "You smell of vampire, where have you been?"

"I've been at vampire mountain, Lady. But that's a long story," I raise my hands to silence her remark. "I came to ask if you know anything about the Black Birds."

She opened and closed her mouth, like a fish on land trying to breath.

"Black birds are curious animals, but I don't see why you would want to-"

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it." I interrupt her, her face contorted slightly with anger.

"Do _not_ interrupt me!" She raised her long pinkie finger nail menacingly.

"Lady, I have known you your whole life, I am older and stronger than you, do not make me hurt you." I say, my voice calm but my stance rigid and magic buzzed around my fingers. Her face returns to normal and she lets out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry, I just wished this future would not come to pass." She looked up at me with sad eyes. "It should be any minute now." She looked toward the cave entrance.

I opened my mouth to question her, when a tall man came trough the opening. He was rugged, and looked tired. He carried no visible weapons, but he was still a most menacing creature to me. He was covered, from head to toe in black, and as he looked around with his invisible eyes I froze. Until his gaze finally found me, and after a small jump of surprise he hissed.

"_Phoenix_!"

He raised his arms and let black magic spout out of his hands. My training came in handy once again as my own hands shot up and white magic came out in two steams. One to block his attack, the other aimed straight for his chest. Before it hit, though, he dodged, rolling further inside the cave. My magic instead hits the cave wall behind where he had been, creating two reasonably sized holes.

As I git ready to block his next attack, he threw something at me. While he had rolled, he had grabbed something out from his cloak, a _knife_, and launched it at me. I dodge it but another connects with one of my arms. I grunt in pain and shoot another strand of magic at him, disintegrating the next knife he threw and almost connecting with his shoulder.

Just after I shot my magic, though, he turned and ran back out from the cave. I started running after him, after all, the fight wasn't over until one of us was dead, but a hand grabbed my good elbow, keeping me in place.

"Why are you letting him get away?" I ask Lady Evanna,(who was the only other person still in the cave, so only she could be grabbing my arm) not bothering to turn and face her.

"Because I have the gift of foresight, and pursuing him would only lead you to an early grave. I am not letting you die so easily." She says softly. "It is an ambush. There are others out side, waiting for you to come out. I will deal with them when you are gone, but for now they should leave you alone." She explains.

"This is what I came to you about, who are these Black Birds, and why are they trying to kill my people?" I turn to her, face flushed from anger and fear. My arm felt like it was on fire, but the knife was stopping the blood flow, and some simple magic took care of the pain.

"Because Desmond wants them to." She sighs, letting go of my arm and repairing the holes I had caused when my magic hit her walls. All thoughts of the knife in my arm and pursuing my attacker were forgotten. I look back to where she stood, her eyes were averted to the floor, and her expression looked pained and dejected.

"Your father? What quarrel does he have with the Phoenixes?" I ask, staring at her down cast face, searching for truth.

"He wants a war." She says, still staring at the cave floor.

"So he created the Black Birds? I talked to one once, he told me that there are only 24 of them. Why would he create 24 to go up against 500?" I grab hold of my friend's hand, making her meet my gaze. "What is it that you're not telling me, Lady?" She looks into my eyes for a few moments, before sighing and clasping my other hand.

"They are not hunting your race," she begins slowly, "they are hunting _you_."


	11. Memory Lane

A blinding white light flashed in the center of her room, ending the heavy silence that had echoed for far too long.

"Skai?" I questioned, looking over at Larten, who had his knife ready incase this was, somehow, an intruder. As the light cleared, the form of the small red head quickly took its place. Her head was bent, but her shoulders were hunched, and her form seemed tense and rigid. "Skai! Where have you been? It's been hours!" I stride towards her.

"I had some business to take care of, but it's all cleared up now." She said tensly, her tone taking me slightly by surprise. She looks up and smiles, but the bags under her eyes worry me.

"Skai.." I reach out to take hold of her shoulders, when one of my hands brushes something hard. I look down, eyes widening as my gaze lands on a knife that stuck out of her left arm. The blade must have been thrown, as it seemed to have landed deeply and probably rendering the whole arm useless. Larten seemed to notice it as well.

"Why is a knife embedded in your arm?" He asked, voice tense, as he crossed the room in two quick strides, taking the arm in his hands and looking over it, worry creasing his brow. She pulled the arm away from him, taking a step back. She looks down at her arm and, with a small grunt, removes the blade and begins looking at it curiously.

"I had forgotten that." She mused. Blood glistened off the knife and started oozing down her arm as well. She cleared her throat and looked back up at us. "Don't worry about it, it was a slip up, okay? But I got what I needed." She carefully threw the knife onto her desk, where it landed smoothly on the flat hardwood. I rolled my eyes.

"And what, pray tell, is that?" I ask unconvinced, crossing my arms over my chest and half frowning at her. I had lived with her for ten, almost eleven years, I could tell when she was hiding something, and judging by her action, she was hiding something huge.

"Information, about the Black Birds, and my nightmares." She shrugged and looked back towards the ground. "And, I don't think that I should stay here any longer." She adds quietly.

"Why is that?" Larten questions from beside me, his voice taking a surprised tone. All pf the bitterness that had filled me was replaced with sadness, and a pit seemed to have opened in the bottom of my stomach.

"I have stayed here for too long." She answered, eyes still glued to the floor.

"Two days isn't that long. And the last vampires arrived while you were gone, which means the festival starts tonight! That would only be three more days you would have to stay, and no one can get by the guards! Please" I beg, "please stay for at least that long." I surprise my self at the soft level my voice comes out at, furrowing my brow and scrunching my nose up as my plea left my lips.

It seemed to work, though, as she lifted her head up and met mine and Lartens gazes with sad eyes. She sighs and crosses her arms, having healed the other soon after the knife was removed.

"Alright, but only until the festival ends." She adds as I open my mouth. I close it and nod, a small smile creeping onto my face. "Now will you please excuse me while I get some sleep before the festival starts?" I nod again, turning to leave her room.

"At what time do you want us to wake you?" Larten asks suddenly, his voice was still serious, as it always has been, but it seemed lighter now, even though there are still many questions to be answered.

"About half an hour before the opening ceremony?" She walks over to what seems to have become her designated sleeping corner and sits down.

"Alright, see you in five hours, then." He replies, turning and joining me by the door way.

"Sleep well." I call as I close the door. It's a good thing that tonight will be filled with drinking and fighting, because I couldn't think of a better way to forget this happened. No better way at all.

I can't sleep.

No matter how hard I try, Lady Evanna's words echo through my head, rattling in my skull without rest.

After the attack, and her sudden proclamation, she told me of the prophecy of the White Phoenix. About how this bird had been born different than the rest, and how she had broken away from her people after a terrible, terrible accident.

_I had finally passed all my ten skills; balance, wisdom, strength, focus, defense, speed, agility, flexibility, harmony, and endurance. My final test was passed, I was top of my class again, and I was returning to my parent's home, because for some odd reason they had not come to see my finals. _

_As I walk back, I look up at the high ceiling of the district quarters. The floating lanterns glowed dimly, meaning that it was almost night for this part of the world. I often wonder about the outside world, separated from me by the walls of out 'nest'. What the air smelt like, and how the ground felt. _

_I turn the corner and see my house there, a bright light shone through the windows. It was a small house, made of straw and mud, with two side rooms and a stick roof. It was like all the other houses on the outside, but the inside held small crafts that my mother made and sold in the market. My father's drawings would often litter the floors and the only weapons we had were hidden away in a large chest I kept in my room._

_I was the only one to carry them, as my parents were lowly people in my society who stayed out of trouble and never fought. Many would come and ask them how two grounded birds could produce such a flyer like me! To them I was a god! Some said that I would become the new Wyn, and that I was destined to be a leader, but I had no need for that. All I cared for were my parents, and I kept that in mind as I opened the door to their house, my home._

_There was blood everywhere. Splattered on the walls, all over my father's drawings and my mother's crafts. My mother sat motionless against the wall, she had multiple wounds around her stomach, and the spot where she sat was drenched in blood, meaning her back was probably shredded as well._

_"_Mama_!" I screech, running and kneeling by her lifeless form. I took her hand and held it, cradling it to my chest as tears ran down my cheeks. I remembered her warm smiles, and how she would always listen as I rambled on about my day. She would even put up with the nights when the night terrors came, and held me until I calmed down. Then she would make me a herb mixture drink and sang to me. _

_Just then I heard a breathy laugh behind me. Letting go of my mother's limp arm, I turn swiftly, having drawn my sword ready to fight. What I see breaks my already shattered heart into a million more tiny pieces._

_"__Da.."_

_My father stands before me, his hands covered in blood and trembling. He holds a small dagger that I used to keep under my pillow, but had to move after I once cut myself grasping the blade in the midst of one of my nightmares. He also had the blood of my mother stained and splattered on his shirt. But it made a small part of me happy to see that my mother had fought before she died. One of my father's ears was ripped off, I saw it now on the floor behind him, as well as half of his left eyebrow, shredded away to a bloody mess of nothing._

_"__I see you have found your mother." He says absently, "I hope you realize she had to die. She would have held you down! I had told you all those years ago to make me proud, and tonight you have! Please, don't make me kill you, that would be most unfortunate for me." He lowers my dagger onto the ground and opens his arms, a queer smile growing on his face. "Now, come give your father a hug!"_

_My rage boils over at that point, something snaps, and suddenly my red hot temper becomes icy cold. My grip on the hilt of my sword loosens enough for me to control it easily._

_"__Who are you?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. "My father loved my mother, but _you_, there can be no love in a heart that doesn't beat." I snap, still gripping my sword in front of me. _

_He barks out a cold laugh._

_"__So that's how you want to play." He grins, "Alright."_

_As soon as he utters those words, a bolt of red magic flares out from his finger tips. I block it with my sword and leap from the ground, swinging my blade above my head and bringing it down swiftly, curving it at the last moment, decapitating my father. I land softly as his head rolls across the floor, leaving his body standing for a few moments before it collapses to a heap on the ground._

_"__I don't play." I say coldly to his corpse. I then walk hurriedly from the room, gathering as many of my weapons as I could carry without their weight slowing me down. I take one long look around the walls of my childhood home._

_Not wanting o remember the good times. Wanting this to become a empty shell, where I had slaughtered a man to avenge a woman that I never met, but just because she should not die in vane. As soon as that was drilled into my mind, I walked away. The lanterns were almost out when I reached the deserted streets._

_I walked until I found the hole behind the old bakery that led to the human world. It had been ripped when some children where practicing with a dagger they had found. I had convinced them to keep it a secret from the leaders in case a night came when I needed to escape quickly and quietly. I took a deep breath, the iciness of the situation starting to wear off, and thoughts of staying filled my mind. But a tiny voice in the back of my mind was telling me of my dreams about the outside world and, finally, I let my feet lead me through the hole and out to the world._

_I was free!_

I can't sleep.


	12. Snake Charming

A knock sounded at my door, making me crack my eyes open.

"Skai?" Came a muffled voice from the other side, it was one that I recognized but I couldn't place it.

"One second." I mumble, but knowing vampires and their hearing, he will surly have heard me. I sit up, cracking my back as I do so, and slowly stand.

I felt I little light headed, probably from lack of food or drink, but shake it off. Straightening my clothes and brushing off debris that had come from the floor, I walk over to answer the door.

"Oh, Kurda! You look… different!" I exclaim. And he did, he still wore light blue, but his robes were now a lot nicer. Fancy, even. He scratched the back of his head, where his long blond hair was now braided down his back.

"It's a custom, for the festival you wear your finest clothes." He replies awkwardly.

"You put on your finest clothes to fight and get drunk in?" I laugh, raising an eyebrow at the young vampire.

"Well, I never said that it made much sense." We laugh a bit and start walking through the mountain.

"So, where are Vancha and the others?" I ask after a long and slightly uncomfortable silence.

"Probably washing up and changing, Vanez may have started drinking already. Knowing him, he'll be set on having a new bed mate every night. I'd stay away from him if I were you." He warns, sending a side-glance my way. I only scrunch my nose in response.

"So, what, he's bisexual?" I ask as Kurda directs me down the right hall way.

"Pan, actually, how do you know about that kind of stuff?"

"I've been around." I say absently. "Wait, washing up?" I ask suddenly, grabbing Kurda's left shoulder and stopping us both in our tracks.

"Um, yes, what about that is so surprising?" He raises his eyebrow in question, causing me to give him a pointed look of slight disbelief.

"_Vancha _could actually be taking a _shower_?" I exclaim, my voice raising slightly. After a moment of though, Kurda proceeds to erupt with a musical, but very loud, laugh. Without a response, he put his arm around my shoulders and continues down the hall.

We soon stop, coming to a small bench that sat in front of a large rock that had remained immobile ever since it had first been discovered, as Vancha had told me during my tour of the mountain.

"This is where we're supposed to meet them." Kurda say, sitting down on the bench and patting the seat next to him, "Now, I realize that you don't want to discuss how you met Larten," he says as I sit down. I give him a quizzical look. "Things seemed complicated between the two of you." He quickly adds. "But, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on between you and Vancha?"

"We're traveling companions," I say after a moment's thought. "I met him ten years ago, and we decided to keep each other company." I continue, careful as to not say anything that could make it seem like something more was going on between us. Which it wasn't. Kurda only tapped his chin, giving me an odd look.

As he opened his mouth to question further, a loud shout came from a tunnel to our right. Looking up, I see Larten, Vancha, Wester, Vanez, and two new vampires I had never seen before. One was a female, who walked close to Larten, but wore a sour expression. The other, male, was dressed completely in black reminding me of my troubles. He also wore a sour expression and walked closely to the girl.

"Hey kids, leave room for Jesus!" Vanez yelled at us. It was at that moment that I realized just how close we were sitting to each other. Kurda must have noticed it to, because in an instant we had both bolted to our feet like startled cats. The others laughed at us (and by 'the others' I mean Vancha and Vanez), ignoring our glares.

"Skai, I do not believe you have met Arra Sails and Mika Ver Leth before?" Larten said over the howls of laughter still coming from the other two vampires. I shake my head, sticking out my hand for them to shake. Instead, though, I get a nod from 'Mika' and no response from 'Arra'. "They only shake the hands of those they respect, which are precious few." He adds as I recoil my hand. I nod, now slightly insulted, tired, and depressed. The vampires I fight tonight will _very_ unlucky.

"So," Wester says, clapping his hands and looking around the group. "To the festival we go!"

A short ceremony, much fighting, and many flasks of ale later, I had gathered quite a crowd of vampires around me. Having seen my powers, (which I had revealed when a drunken vampire had asked why such a 'weak thing like myself was even bothering to show up', and I flexed my arms using magic to make it seem as though my biceps were as big as the rest of my body) many vampires had wanted to duel me, and had made it a game to call out things I had to do while fighting.

"Turn into a snake!" One shouted from my left, I obliged, ducking my opponents attack and transforming into a large cobra-type serpent.

Cheers rang through the crowd as I finished the fight, having floored my opponent for ten seconds.

"Unfair! Cheater!" Someone shouted from the crowed. I turn to see none other than Mika Ver Leth, strolling towards me, parting the crowd as a knife would part flesh. "I challenge you to duel, with no magic. Win, and you will have earned my respect, lose and you will have met my expectations." He says as he reaches me. Silence rung through the crowd, most were sure that I would decline immediately, but instead I smirk at the large vampire.

"I was taught to never back down from a fight no matter what the stakes." I say, the others cheer again, making Mika smirk as well.

"Then the fight will follow the same rules as the ones you had already fought. First to be floored for ten seconds loses." He says, taking his place, about a meter and a half away from me. I nod, and soon after he yells "_Go_!".

He lunges towards me with alarming speed, swinging his leg out and almost connecting with my jaw. _Almost_. As his play becomes apparent, I bend my knees, arch my back to doge his move, then kick out with my left leg, connecting with the leg that he was standing on knocking it out from under him. As he falls he sticks his hand out behind him, doing a back walk-over-ish thing and getting back on his feet almost immediately. A low 'ohh' hisses from the crowd, but I have no time to pay it any mind as I leap into the air, spinning and letting my leg kick out as I come around again.

Mika had been expecting this, though, and as my leg came around he reached out and grabbed my ankle. Beginning to feel myself being pulled down, I pushed my other leg against his chest, springing myself in a back flip out of his grip and landing a safe distance away. Things went on like this for a few more moves until I finally cracked him.

As he dove towards me, aiming to pin me beneath him with his weight, I swerved out of the way, leaping into the air again, turning, and coming down on top of him. His face and chest hit the rough ground of the games hall with a thud. I land hard on his back, probably winding him. A few moments later a loud cheer erupts around us.

It had been ten seconds, and I had won!

I stood up, getting off of the black-draped vampire and, ignoring the cheers, held out my hand to him. He looked at it, but got up on his own, making a sound that could have passed for a laugh.

"I underestimated you, you fought like a true vampire." He said, sticking out his hand, which I shook, smiling at him.

"Want some ale? I think I need another ale after that." I say after a moment. 'Laughing' again, he drapes an arm around my shoulders, leading me away from the ring of rowdy vampires, who had begun fighting each other again.

"Sure, kid."


	13. Drunk In Love

I woke up to a splitting head ache and a nauseous sensation in my stomach.

"Fuck" I groan, rolling over as I tried not to puke.

"The dead rises!" Calls a cheery voice from the corner of my room.

At my desk sat Skai, a smirk drawing over her features as she sat cross legged on the stool. Her long ginger hair was tied up into a knot on top of her head with a few wisps having fallen out. Her shirt seemed to have been ripped a bit, (hopefully from the fighting that took place last night) as did her pants, but other than that she looked much like she usually did.

"What are you-" I start questioning before a sudden thought crosses my mind. My eyes widen as I try to remember last night, realizing rather suddenly that her shirt had a few buttons undone, and the tie to her pants was undone as well. "Wait, don't tell me we slept together last night." I stare at her, waiting for a response.

She bursts out laughing, the sound echoing through my head causing the pain to worsen in my temples. "You wish!" She laughs. "No, I came here to check and make sure you weren't dead, you drank almost a full three barrels of ale last night!"

"I wish I was dead." I grumble, sitting up and almost throwing up all over the floor.

"Here" she says, handing me an empty barrel. "Incase you do puke. Seba told me to tell you to take a shower." She adds, I send her a light glare.

"I _don't_ need a shower, I showered last month." I growl. She holds up her hands in mock surrender.

"Not for the smell, for your hang over. He said a cold shower would make you feel better." She soothed, crossing the room and sitting beside me.

One of the things I had always loved about Skai was her smell. Everyone had their own smell, but most people smelled fairly similar. Skai, on the other hand, always smelled like smoke, wet asphalt, and honey. It was an odd, bitter-sweet smell, but it always gave off an air of comfort. As she sat down next to me her sent filled my nose, reminding me that she was actually there. Sitting beside me and smirking at me. "I don't think that a little shower will hurt you, Vancha." She joked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, only a _little _bit offended of the fact that almost every woman he met told him to take a shower.

"You reek of body odor, blood and ale." She said matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow teasingly. I scoffed.

"That's part of my natural allure!"

"oh for gods sake, take a shower!" She laughed, standing up and offering her hand for me to take.

I ignored it, pushing myself up, and immediately regretted it. The room spun and my stomach lurched. Just as I was about to fall over, a small hand grabbed my forearm, holding me upright. "Come on." Her small voice beckoned, leading me out into the hall.

"I can walk on my own." I mumble in embarrassment, hoping that no one sees me, the great Vancha March, being helped through the halls by a small, young woman who looks to be no more than 19. Her hand leaves my arm but I still feel her presence, ready to help me if my hangover swings me into a wall or something. "What happened last night?" I ask, trying to break the silence that made my head feel as if it was about to explode.

"I don't exactly know," She mused, "I only saw you when I went to get some ale. You, Wester and Vanez were all sitting around a table discussing how much fighting you would be doing tonight. Then Kurda came in and dragged Vanez away before he had the chance to pass out." She laughed at the memory, causing me to smile. "Later Larten came and got Wester, so I helped you to your room. You fell asleep the moment your head hit the ground."

Before I had chance to inquire further, she pushed me through a door and into the hall of Perta Vin-Grahl. I heard her say something about 'staying outside and waiting for me to finish', so, without further thought, I strip and walk into the ice-cold 'showers'.

"I'll wait out here until you finish." I call from the entrance way of the hall, closing the door after having pushed Vancha through it. I roll my eyes at the lack of response and lean against the wall across from the door.

I let thoughts of last night cross my mind. After having my ale, I watched as Vanez and Wester yelled back and forth at each other while Vancha focused on guzzling down ale. Mika had left to go back to the fighting, having not quite quenched his thirst for blood, while Larten and Arra could be seen in the far corner of the hall, talking quietly to each other. I smiled at them, happy that Larten had found someone to occupy himself with. Than Kurda had showed up, fussing over Vanez, trying to keep him up right long enough to get him out of the hall.

By then many of the other vampires in the hall had either retreated to their rooms or passed out.

Having seen Larten drag Wester off with an apologetic smile directed at Arra, I decided it was time to retrieve Vancha from his now lonely table. So, I pushed myself up and walked over, hearing him talking to himself. Muttering about ale and how he would drink all of it.

_"__Vancha?" I called as I approached the table cautiously. In all my years with him I had never seen him like this before. "Vancha, I think it's time that you go to bed." I say. He turns around, swaying slightly._

_"__Skai?" He asked with a slight drunken slur. I nod. "Skai! Come drink with me." He boomed, a big childish smile spreading across his face. I shook my head, sighing._

_"__No, Vancha. I think it's time you get to bed." I say, reaching out to take hold of his hand. He scrunched up his face but took my hand and allowed me to lead him away._

_"__Are you going to bed too?" He asked. I couldn't help but laugh at his tone, he reminded me of a young child, maybe a five year old._

_"__Yes, I'm going to bed to." I smiled._

_"__Are you going to bed with me?"_

_"__No, we're both going to bed alone."_

_"__Then why are we holding hands?" He asked in a confused tone, looking at our hands as if they were some kind of anomaly. _

_"__Because you're drunk and I'm not sure how well you would find your way to your room if we didn't." I answered, but couldn't help blushing. I felt his hand move in mine and he entwined our fingers together._

_"__We should hold hands more, I like it." He smiled at me with another goofy expression, causing me to blush even more. "Why are your cheeks so red?" He asked, peering over at me, stumbling a bit._

_"__I don't know." I shrugged as I steadied Vancha, forcing my blush down._

_He laughed. "Well, their back to normal now!" He announced gleefully. Silence followed for a while after that. It wasn't heavy or tense, it was actually very nice. We were a few turns away from our rooms when Vancha spoke up again. "You're kinda pretty, you know that?" He stated, and though it was probably the alcohol talking I couldn't help blushing again._

_"__Um, th-thank you, Vancha." I stammered out, keeping my eyes focused ahead of us._

_"__When I said 'kinda', I might have meant 'really', because you are really pretty." He continued, starting to sound less like a child and more like himself. "But, you being so pretty kinda makes me sad, because someone else might notice how pretty you are, and then they might take you away," He looked at the ground. I could see his room door coming up as I hurried him through the tunnel. As we stopped in front of it he turned to face me. "Can you promise me that you won't let them take you away?" He asked, looking into my eyes. He looked so sincere, but I wouldn't let myself get my hopes up, he was drunk after all._

_"__We're here."_

"Hello? Earth to Skai!" Vancha called, waving a hand in front of my face. "That sounds weird!" He muses.

I blinked, refocusing my eyes to the man that stood in front of me. "Sorry, zoned out, feel any better?" I asked as I cleared my head of the memories of last night.

"Yeah! If we see Seba again before we leave I'll have to thank him! But that also means that I'm going to have to have a shower everyday for three days straight.." He trailed off, grumbling towards the end. I let out a light laugh, slapping him on the back as we turned to leave for the hall of Kheolden Lurt.

"I know! I'm going to owe him big time!" I laugh, before remembering Evanna's prophecy, and how after the festival I'll have to leave Vancha to fight for the sake of my people. Vancha must have noticed how my mood had changed, peering around at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confusion and concern etched over his features. I shake my head, clearing it of the dark thoughts of the future and putting on a half-fake smile.

"Nothing, it's just going to be weird having you smell decent for a change." I smirk, earning a small shove from the green haired vampire.

"Don't get too used to it!" He laughs, the mood lightening with every second that passes. Two days and I'll have to leave him, but two days can be a long time.

Not like anything ground breaking would happen in _two days_.


	14. Baby Shot Me Down

**I won't be updating until next Sunday or Monday because I'm going to my friend's cottage and they are cave men who don't have wi-fi. So I'm very sorry for the inconvenience. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

The next two days went by in a dizzying speed. Maybe it was all the ale and fighting that made them whirl by, but before she knew it, Skai was facing one of the hardest goodbyes she ever had to make.

When she had woken up that day her stomach seemed to have been filled with lead over the course of the night (day? Time zones are irrelevant in the mountain). She felt like staying on the cold stone floors of her temporary room for an eternity and never rising again. And she may have, if the pounding on her door wasn't enough to drive her temper through the roof.

"Skai! You have to come right now!" A young-ish voice yelled from the hallway on the other side of the door.

"What is it?" She growled, rubbing her eyes to free the crust that had formed around her lashes.

"It's about Vancha!" The voice called again. I less than a moment later Skai had risen and flung open the door, startling Kurda, who had become a call bird that the others would send when they were too busy.

"What about Vancha?" She asked. Kurda shook his head, taking her arm and pulling her up through the mountain towards it's peak. What ever was happening must be extremely important, because it seemed that every vampire in the mountain was headed to the same destination. The longer they climbed the more anxious Skai became, constantly asking Kurda to tell her what was going on already. The blond continued to sigh and shake his head.

"Just wait, you'll find out soon enough." He finally said after another of her protests. They had now reached a glowing dome-ish thing; the Hall of Princes.

"Kurda, why are we here?" She asked hesitantly. The dome reminded her of how the nest looked, and how she had left her home and was now cursed with loneliness and death wherever she went. She had learned that the hall had been built by Desmond Tiny and had often wondered if he had built the nest as well.

"We are here for a vote. Since you're not a vampire you can't vote, but you have to be here, Vancha wants you to be." The blond vampire replied, smiling at her.

"Why would he want me to be here for a vote? Just tell me what's going on!"

They walked through the gate way and into the hall, spotting Vanez, Larten, Arra and Wester who had been saving their seats. As she sat down, Skai made a point to examine the hall thoroughly, leaving no detail forgotten. As she traced the room her eyes landed on a raised platform on the far side of the room. There were three thrones; one was empty, where as the other two held the princes Paris Skyle and Arrow. Also, on the platform stood the tan, green haired, smelly vampire that the Phoenix held most dear.

As Skai opened her mouth to inquire once again what Vancha was doing in the hall of princes, the white haired prince rose and the crowd quieted, waiting for the announcement.

"As you know the Festival of the undead is meant to be a time when we put aside all serious matters. But now that that is over, we have a vote to cast. I have nominated General Vancha March to become a fourth prince. Now, all those in favor-"

All else was white noise to the young girl who sat there, frozen and staring wide eyed at the man she had traveled with for the last ten years. Even when the hands of her friends rose into the air, even when they began cheering upon the announcement of the approval, she sat there unmoving, unseeing, almost as if she didn't exist at all. She knew that they would have to part ways eventually, but she had hoped it would be a mutual parting. That they would leave the mountain, and once they had come to a familiar place they would shake hands and part ways, but now…

Now she would have to leave him at one of his highest moments when she should be celebrating with him.

As they exited the hall (Larten had to pull her out as she was in too deep in her mind to go anywhere herself) she remembered his face when he was confirmed. How his eyes lit up but he kept from smiling, trying to maintain a serious mood. She couldn't help but picture how his eyes would look when he came to find her and she was gone, empty of everything but sadness, betrayal, maybe even anger. She knew she couldn't tell him she was leaving because he would convince her to stay, but at least he would have Larten. Since Larten had dealt with her leaving before, maybe he would understand.

"Skai, are you okay?" Seba's soft voice jogged her out of her trance. She gave the older vampire a kind smile, like the ones he had always given her, and left. Without a word to tell them where she was going, and she kept walking even as Wester and Vanez shouted after her.

She walked until she found the entrance she and Vancha had used when they had arrived at the mountain five days ago. When she had finally navigated her way through the various tunnels that lead to the outside world she stopped. The wind bite at her as it howled fiercely through the barren arctic waste land that surrounded the mountain. And she let herself fall through space and time, landing in the alley where she had met her companion, and lay down. Trying to forget what she just did, trying to erase all her memories to focus on the task at hand, ending a budding war.

And, eventually, crying herself to sleep.

But back at Vampire mountain, as Wester tried to run after the small, mysterious young woman, a hand had grabbed his shoulder. Larten was looking to where she walked, watching her until she turned a corner, leaving their line of sight.

"What is- Why is she- Larten?" The brunet stumbled over his words as he desperately looked between where Skai had disappeared and his friend. "Larten, what is she doing?"

"Leaving" The man relied, a sadness filling his eyes as he turned to walk with the rest of the crowd.

"But, why?" Wester asked, his tone resembling that of a lost toddler. The orange haired man sighed, looking at the ground as they continued down to the center of the mountain.

"Because she always does."


	15. I Would Walk 500 Miles

_I raced through the tunnels of Vampire Mountain, my heart pounding in my chest and my lungs desperate for air. My left arm was bleeding rather badly and I could hear the thundering beat of heavy footsteps close behind me. I was terrified as one left turn led to another. I was going in circles, a continuous loop that runs forever until I eventually surrender. The halls were completely deserted of life and doors. There was no escape from my pursuer and no one to save me from him, my only option was to stand and fight._

_I turn to face him, I didn't know who he was but I knew he was male, only to find that he was no longer behind me. I also see that I am no longer in the winding tunnels, but in a large room with a strange cage-type-thing in the middle of it. The only noise is coming from my panting breaths and the thumping of my heart._

_"__You!" He calls out behind me. I turn around quickly, stumbling over my feet slightly and almost falling over. There, about 10 meters away from me stood Vancha. His face was contorted in an angry sneer, and his nails on this right hand were dripping with blood. _My_ blood, meaning he was the one who gave me the deep gash in my arm nearly crippling it. _

_"__Vancha…"_

_He lets out a mocking laugh. "Don't you 'Vancha' me!" He sneers, taking steps towards me. They were slow and menacing, and I had to take cautious steps back out of fear. "You left me! You left without even a 'goodbye'!" He yells._

_"__I had to! My people-"_

_"__Oh, your people!" He interrupted. "The ones that you ran away from, the ones that put you through 100 years of misery then made you immortal so that you could relive those emotions everyday for the rest of forever!" He continued yelling at me until my back hit the metal cage. I tried to move along it to keep away from him, but the metal bars snaked around my wrists, trapping me. He kept walking towards me menacingly. "I saved you that night in the alley. That man could have raped and killed you but I saved you. And in return you go and run away at my highest hour. When I needed you to be there! How could you?" He now towered over me. _

_I could see the hatred burning in his eyes which made mine water, I tried to force back tears and shrink into the bars. "I'm sorry." I sobbed, terrified of what my friend had become. He reminded me of my father the night he lost his mind and slaughtered my mother._

_"__You betrayed me." He growls, a sadistic smirk growing over his features. "And here, when someone betrays a prince," H take a final step towards me, leaning down and whispers in my ear. "They get dropped over the stakes in the hall of death." _

_Before I had time to apologize again, the bars behind me gave way and I felt myself falling. Falling, falling, falling to my destruction. I heard him laughing, and I opened my mouth to scream out before I was pierced by the needle sharp stakes._

"Vancha!" I screamed as I bolted upright.

But he wasn't here, and I was far away from Vampire Mountain.

I was shaking violently, and the cold morning air blowing against the sweat dripping off my forehead wasn't helping. I wiped at my tear-soaked eyes and focused on calming down my breathing.

As I felt myself calming down, I got up and looked around me, memorizing where I had been. I was in the middle of an immense forest. Thick pine trees blocked my view of the sky, but I could see if anyone, or any_thing_, was trying to sneak up on me on the ground. To the best of my knowledge the Black Birds can't fly, so this was the best spot I could have chosen. After a few minutes of circling around myself, I finally decided to move on.

This had become a normal routine throughout my 60-ish years away from all societies. Choose a direction, walk in that direction all day, when tired find safe place and sleep, wake up next day, repeat. It could be very boring sometimes, but I learnt within my first few years away from Vancha that pursuing the Black Birds and trying to fight them that way was a terrible Idea.

They now move in six packs of four, tipping the odds dangerously in their favor. They also were no longer draped in all black; they now wore a leather string around their necks from which hung all the silver knotted charms from the Phoenixes they had killed. They must have killed at least 100 by now, meaning they were much stronger than us at the moment, so I settled on the smart thing to do; run.

I often think that the only reason I'm still alive is because I ran away from the nest when I was so young. Most Phoenixes, even after their 100 years of training, stay and fight each other for pride's sake. They learn from that that you have to stay and fight or else you're a coward. Because I ran away I learnt a lot of human culture, which changed my way of thinking so that I now know when to fight and when to run.

But that didn't mean I didn't feel absolutely useless.

"Oh for _god's_ sake." I mutter angrily to myself, stopping in my tracks and turning my head up to face the sky. "What should I do? Please, if you will help me, show me what I should do." I yell up. I wait for a few moments before kicking a rock at my feet in frustration. "Fuck this."

I bring my hand up to my pendant and squeeze the knot between my thumb and forefinger.

"Lady Evanna, you better have some good advice."

I sat at one of Lady Evanna's dinning chairs, studying the food she had laid out for us.

"Still on the cow food, Lady?" I laughed, but inwardly sighed. I could really do with some meat at the moment.

I had been side glancing at Darren for a while, noting how he acts and reacts to things people say, how he seems like an adult at times and a clueless child at others. Sometimes he reminded me of _her_… I shake my head. _No, he does _not_ remind me of her. No one ever could_.

I sigh and pick through the vegetables, choosing the ones that aren't cooked and begin munching on them. Later on Larten came back in, he had finished mourning his lost love I guess, and sat down with us. As I was about to fill Lady in on why we are here, even though she probably already knew, a blinding white flash goes off in the middle of the room.

Larten, Darren, and I all spring to our feet, weapons in hands. Harkat stands by Darren, unsure about what to do. As the light fades away, the form of a person takes it's place.

A small, ginger girl with pale skin and big blue eyes, she wore black baggy capris and a black and purple plaid shirt. She was clutching a chain that hung around her neck and looking around the room, not yet seeing us.

I dropped my shuriken, which landed with a clatter on the floor causing her to turn around, palms facing outward, ready to fight.

"Skai?" I asked in disbelief. She seemed as stunned as I was, because she lowered her hands slowly. A look of surprise and happiness washed over her features, before it was replaced with one of fear. I felt my chest tighten as she took a step away from me. _Is she afraid of me_?_ Why_?

"Vancha."


	16. Run Away Baby

I sat in awe for a moment as I watched the bright white flash erupt in the middle of the room. It made an amplified white noise and static sound and gave off no sign of dying down. Seconds later Mr. Crepsley, Vancha, Harkat and I were all standing (I noticed that Lady Evanna stayed seated at the table as if it were a normal occurrence), weapons at the ready, as we watched the white light grow longer until it touched the ground. As soon as it rays hit the cold stone floor of the cave, the light began to change shape. My grip on my sword started to loosen as the body of a girl enveloped the light.

She was very short, and looked to be in her mid to late teens, maybe a bit older. She looked like she could be pretty, but the dark rings under her eyes and her unhealthy skinny frame took away from the rest of her features. Though she was skinny she looked incredibly strong, and though she was strong, she still looked kind.

She opened her eyes and began looking around in front of her, having not noticed us standing a few meters away.

"Skai?" Vancha asks in a tone of disbelief. She finally turns around, looking between the four of us, her face sweeping through different emotions alarmingly. First surprise, then confusion as her eyes landed on Harkat, followed by happiness and fear when she looked back at Vancha.

"Vancha." She said tonelessly. Her voice was deeper than I expected from such a petite girl.

I continued to stare, eyes darting between the two of them, until Evanna rose from behind us. Her chair screeches across the floor, interrupting the heavy silence that hung over us all, and she made quick of distracting the girl from Vancha (who was still stunned, staring with an odd expression at the girl).

"Skai, dear, you look dreadful." The wit-_sorceress _said playfully as she took hold of 'Skai's' hands.

"Well, you do to, only it's on purpose!" She replied half-heartedly, glancing between the ugly woman and the prince, her face giving away her unease. "I see that you have guests, I did not mean to intrude. I can go if you-"

"Don't be stupid, you look like death warmed up. Why don't you come sit with us and have some food. You're the one who came here, so don't go running off without seeing out your purpose." She waved a finger at the girl in a very motherly way.

Skai sighs, looking over at us again, a small smile gracing her features. "Hi, Larten."

"Skai." He nods, I can see a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as well, if it had been any other time I would have cracked a joke about him never smiling, but I didn't want to ruin their moment.

"Mind if I join you guys for a meal?" She asked, fidgeting awkwardly. Probably uneasy about how all attention was on her, and though I felt bad, I couldn't stop staring.

"Only if you do not mind explaining where you have been all this time." He replied in a matter-of-factly tone.

She lets out a resigned sigh, looking back towards the ground. "Fair enough."

Minutes later we were sitting again, Harkat and I still had no idea what was going on, and Skai had eaten most of the remaining food on the table. Skai sat between Evanna and I, then Harkat on my left, Mr. Crepsley on his left, and then Vancha between him and Evanna. Skai wasn't talking much, probably due to the way she was shoveling in forkful after forkful of food into her mouth, and I figured now would be as good a time to ask as any.

"So, um," I clear my throat awkwardly and look away when her eyes meet mine. "I know that this is a weird question, but who are you exactly?" She smiled and audibly swallowed whatever she had been eating.

"Skai, I used to know Larten and Vancha."

"Are you a vampire?"

"No, I'm a Phoenix."

I blink, letting a blank expression fall over my face as I process her words. "So, like, an immortal fire bird?" I ask. I see a blush rise up onto her cheeks and she focuses on her plate, moving the few remaining vegetables around with her fork. I messed up.

"Um, no, more like an immortal being of magic who can take whatever form they like. But humans have screwed around with the stories so much that, anyway I understand your confusion." She explains, not looking up from her plate and proceeding to shove her last forkful into her mouth. "Who're 'ou, if 'ou 'on't mind me askin'?" She asks through her mouthful(which she swallows whole after a few more chews).

"Darren Shan, I'm Mr. Crepsley's assistant." She raises her head at that, turning to face Mr. Crepsley.

"You have an _assistant_? Wow, you are getting old!" She laughed. She had a kind of musical laugh, but at the same time it was relaxed at oddly gruff, strange girl. "Wait a minute," She pauses, leaning over the table slightly as if to get a better look at the orange haired vampire. "Where on _earth _did you get that scar?"

I was leaning against one of the cave walls, the one that I had blasted two holes through 60 years ago, listening to the conversation currently going on between Darren, Larten, Harkat (who I had made acquaintance with after Darren recounted the odd, and _very_ amusing, story behind Larten's 'new' scar) and the Lady Evanna about the battle of scars. Vancha had disappeared earlier after telling Darren the story behind the creation of my friend.

"Skai, can I talk to you?" Vancha, as if cued, asked from behind me. I jumped slightly and turned to face him. He wouldn't look me in the eye, bad, but there was an underlying soft sadness in his voice, good. I nod, and we both make our way outside for some privacy.

The cool night breeze blew pleasantly when we left the cave, and I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply, making the most of the moment before the impending '_why-the-hell-did-you-leave-without-even-saying-goodbye_' confrontation. I could feel Vancha's presence beside me, we stood like that for a while, five maybe ten minutes, neither of us wanting to break the comfort that the long silence brings. But all good things have to come to an end.

"Just tell me why." He finally said. His voice was soft and I didn't need to open my eyes to know that he still wasn't looking at me. We were probably both standing at the entrance to a cave, surrounded by poisonous frogs, with our eyes closed looking like complete idiots.

I let a sigh pass my lips and I look up to the sky, trying to find comfort from the constellations. "Because I had to." I say finally, turning my gaze back down to face the muddy terrain.

"Please just give me a straight answer." He almost whispers. I see him shift beside me, crossing his arms and slouching slightly.

"It's," I pause. _It's what_? _It's just how I am_? _It's because he became a prince_? _It's because of my people_? I shake my head. "Not that simple. Which, I know" I add quickly as he groans and turns his head up to the sky. "Is not what you want to hear but, god damn it, Vancha, I don't know!" I let my exasperation seep into my tone. The air around me seemed to be growing thicker and breath wasn't coming easily. I forced myself to calm down, but my voice still shook into my next sentence.

"I can never stay anywhere too long, I always have to keep moving, but I find it even harder to have to face someone and tell them 'goodbye'. Which, I know is ridiculous so you don't have to tell me, but, I don't know." I dig the balls of my palms into my eyes, rubbing them until I could see the stars and my head feels like it has been filled with cotton balls.

"_I'm sorry_."

My words rang in the silence of the night, seeming to bounce off all surfaces without rest. I eventually removed my hands from my face and had to blink numerous times to get my vision back to normal. Vancha was still standing beside me, unmoving, completely silent, seemingly in deep thought. I wanted to scream at him say something, but I also didn't want to further his negative feelings towards me. So I stood there, waiting, as the night grew cold.


	17. Butterflies and Back Stories

_What the hell am I supposed to do now_? I ask myself as Skai finishes her little explanation. I know that she didn't tell me much, but what she had told me made me want to hold her for a thousand years and never let her go.

Because even though she's over 700 years older than me, she still sounded so small and scared. I could hear her ragged breathing and the deep breaths she took as she tried to calm down, and I remembered the nightmares she has been suffering from her whole life. She had to deal with those alone for the last 70 years, and another 150 before that! Who knows how many nightmares she's woken up from in a dark, cold place with no one to help her through it. But sure enough, here I am pouting because she had to see to her responsibilities instead of staying with me and celebrating my achievement.

Without thinking I turn to her and wrap my arms around her, bending my head down to get closer to hers and closing my eyes. At first she stands there, ridged, but soon melts into the embrace. I squeeze her into my chest, breathing in the scent I had been deprived of for so long. I feel her arms wrapping themselves around my waist, one rising up and resting her hand between my shoulder blades as she squeezes me back. We stand like that for a long time, it feels like hours, but I don't mind, as long as I get to hold her and I know that she won't leave me.

"Have I ever told you know why I left my people all those years ago?" She asks suddenly, her voice small and sad. I hum a no, loosening my hold on her slightly to look at her. She opens her eyes as well, but won't meet mine, looking at the ground instead. "I had just finished my 100 years of training, top of my class. I went home to celebrate with my parents, only to find my mother dead by the hands of my father." She pauses, taking a deep breath. I see a tear fall from her eyes, but I'm too numb to move, too numb to say anything. So I wait for her to continue. "He told me that she was holding me back from greatness, because she was a simple merchant. My success had driven my father insane, and I ended up having to murder him." She chocked back a sob.

I pulled her into my chest again, not caring if she dampened my dyed skins with her tears. I shushed her, wanting to calm her down but not knowing how.

"I never met my parents." I said, surprising even myself with my words. "I was raised by Lady Evanna, me and my brother." I pause, I had never even mentioned Gannen to anyone but the princes before. I guess it just felt fair considering she had just told me about how she killed her own father, so I continued. "We joined the vampenez together, but I couldn't deal with having to kill those I fed from. So I decided to leave the clan, but the only way to do that was to die. Gannen saved me, by convincing them to let me live, but I still couldn't stop killing innocent people. That is, until I met Paris Skyle, and he re-blooded me as a vampire." It wasn't until I stopped talking that I realized Skai's breathing had calmed down.

"Why are you telling me all thins?" She asked after another moment of holding each other.

"For the same reason you told me about the night you left the Phoenixes." I reply, smiling even though she couldn't see it.

I hear her snort. "I don't even know why I told you that, though."

"Exactly, it just felt right." I take a step back away from her, but keep my arms holding her shoulders. She keeps her hands wrapped around my forearms, looking into my eyes and letting a small smile dance across her lips. I felt a warmth swell in my chest knowing that this smile was meant from me, and felt a smile of my own carving itself onto my face.

"So where do we go from here?" She asks suddenly. I furrow my brow at the question, not completely understanding. "I've got my war, and you have yours, so what are we supposed to do now?" She clarifies.

"Where do you want to go?" I ask, looking intently into her eyes. She looked away, up at the stars again. I could see the reflections of them in her eyes, making them sparkle in a way that made her look even more beautiful.

I've never admitted it, but I've always thought of Skai as beautiful. Even when she was dirty, or scratched up, even when her nightmares prevented her from getting many nights sleep, resulting in the dark circles currently under her eyes, she always seemed to glow like all the stars in the sky, and I wanted nothing more than to be able to call her mine.

"My life is so unorganized right now I honestly have no idea where to go from here." She replied, jogging me out of my reverie. She finally looks back at me and something sparks in my chest. A spark of spontaneity. For the third time that night I pulled her closer, but this time was different.

This time I leaned down and let our lips connect.

I felt her freeze, and I worried that I had made the wrong call and ruined my relationship with her forever. But then something wonderful happened. Something happened that made me want to squeal like a school girl. Because then she took her arms off mine and wrapped the around my neck, pulling me closer to her.

It was then that I knew I did something right. So I wrapped one of my arms around her waist, and the other around her neck, letting my fingers play and gently pull at her hair. She was so soft, her lips, her hair, her form, her everything. I was on cloud nine, and all she had to do hold me.

My eyes flew open as Vancha leaned down and took my lips gently in his. I had never kissed anyone before (excluding my traumatic experience I had involving it in the alley when I first met Vancha) and had no idea how to go about doing so. But as I stood there, frozen, I remembered that this is _Vancha_. The man that had haunted my thoughts for the last 70 years for, what I thought was guilt. But I realize now, was actually because I wanted to be with him. I wanted to hold his hand and be able to lean over and kiss him on the cheek and do all the cheesy couple things with him.

So, without really thinking it through, I laced my arms up over his shoulders and around his neck. Which, I really didn't think through because it came as a shock when he, consequently, leaned further into the kiss. It came as an even bigger shock, however, when his arms found their way around me, pushing my body further into his. I could feel all of his muscles through his shirt contracting whenever he moved, and I'm sure he could feel my heart rate accelerate as I could feel his.

The feeling of being this close to someone sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach. The thought of being so intimate with someone, sharing our deepest secrets and then connecting like this sent my mind into a fuzzy ball of nervous energy. I'm sure I was shaking, and even more sure that if Vancha let go of me now my knees would fail me and I would end up in a heap on the ground.

It was odd, you would expect from a hard, rugged, boisterous vampire like Vancha, to be rough when kissing someone, that wasn't the case. He was very careful not to press into me too hard, and his lips, though they felt rough as you would expect, were pressing very softly to mine. He held me as if I was made of glass, but the gentle tugging of my hair gave great contrast to everything else.

I'm not sure how long we stood like that, but when we finally broke apart, panting lightly for air, I realized that we had been standing outside for a long time. The sky was almost pitch-black where as it had been a light navy when we first stepped outside. I also noticed a chill in the air, as autumn was quickly closing in on the world.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as a particularly cool blast of air blew over us. "We should probably go back inside." I say sheepishly, not entirely sure where to look.

"Aye." Vancha agrees. I can hear the disappointment in his voice and stop him as he turns around, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Vancha." I say calmly, smiling at him when he turns to face me again. "What just happened, wasn't a bad thing. I think it was a very good thing, actually, just so you know." I say, leaning up on my tip toes and planting a light kiss on his cheek, before taking his hand and entwining our fingers together before leading him back into the cave.


	18. A Friendly Conversation About Death

Evanna was sitting across from me at the table we had been eating at hours ago. We were both cradling some herbal tea that she had made earlier, it tasted like mint, honey, and lemon. The others were all asleep by now, but they had unfortunately been awake to see Vancha and I walk in together, holding hands.

At first Larten had stared at us, but quickly looked away, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips, little shit that he is. Darren and Harkat, however, seemed to think it was a phenomenon that this act could ever occur between the two of us.

_"__Where were you guys?" Darren asked as he noticed our reappearance in the cave. The other occupants of the cave turned to look at us. I had been hoping that they would be asleep by now, but why would things start working out in my life now? Before I could even try unlinking our hands, Darren's jaw hit the floor and he let out a small gasp of disbelief._ _"Wait, are you guys..?"_

_"__Finally!" Lady Evanna interrupted from where she sat on the couch. "You two were behaving like children, not talking to each other, not looking at each other. I'm glad you're all sorted out now." She beamed._

_I felt my cheeks burning with embarrassment as we stood there, Vancha was either beaming or smirking, I'm not sure which. Luckily for me, after realizing I wasn't going to move on my own anytime soon, Vancha pulled me to sit with the rest of the group on the couches and tried to keep the subject away from '_what-were-you-two-doing-outside-for-so-long?'_._

"So, you came here seeking advice, I'm guessing?" Evanna spoke in a hushed tone as to not wake the others.

"I just don't know where to go from here." I begin, staring into the dark liquid of my mug. "I can't face my enemy alone because they out number me greatly, but since I ran away from the nest I can't call on my people to help me either." I sigh, taking a sip of my tea.

My friend settled into a state of deep thought, going completely silent. As her silence carried on let my ears become more alert, listening to the sounds and heavy breaths of the vampires that slept a few meters or so away from us.

I didn't care if it was a little creepy listening to my friends breathing. The sounds calmed me down and filled the empty noise that gave off an eerie feeling. I have found that, in my experience, silence always means trouble. If there was nothing going on around you, it was probably a trap and you need to get out of there before someone dies. But the muffled, deep sounds coming from the couches gave off a feeling of comfort and I was able to relax and enjoy my tea.

"My father wants another war." Evanna finally spoke up, her eyes were still closed but her expression was no longer blank.

"Another war? We're in the middle of two at the moment, why does he want another?" I ask, thinking out loud. Was tormenting me and my friends not enough for him?

"Your war is leading up to another, one that will aid in the destruction of humanity, vampirism, the race of the Phoenixes, and all other forms of life entirely. The same goes for the War of the Scars." She explains. I look over at my friends again, wondering _how long_ until we're all wiped out.

I had had a few encounters with Mr. Tiny, Evanna's father, throughout my years, and even though his appearance was nothing more than creepy, he never failed to torment me in my subconscious for many nights afterwards. The fact that he wants to destroy the dominant species of the earth to, presumably, start over with the cycle of evolution with brand new beings to torture, sent chills running down my spine.

"What can I do to stop it?" I hear myself ask, but my mind was still processing, asking _why_?

"Wipe out the 24 Black Birds before word of them reaches your leader." She says simply, taking a sip of her tea. I shake my head of the cotton-balled numbness that had taken over it.

"Wipe them out?" I ask, slightly angry at the nonchalant-ness of her voice. "How!? They're too powerful! They'll over take me before I even have time to attack!" I say desperately, raising my voice steadily, forgetting momentarily about my sleeping friends.

"They are not too powerful, you just haven't developed enough to defeat them yet." She deflects, sighing into her words. "My father is growing impatient and pushed your kind into war far earlier then originally planed." Her tone was serious and slightly saddening.

We were silent for another minute before Evanna rose, finally, and cleared away our empty mugs. "Get some sleep, Skai. Tomorrow I'll take you away from these rowdy vampires and teach you all you need to know."

"I'm not sure if I can sleep." I sigh, getting up silently from the tables and circling around it slowly.

"Your nightmares?" She asks, looking knowingly into my eyes.

I nod slightly. "They're getting worse, more realistic. Sometimes I'll think that I've woken up, but then reality distorts itself and it turns out I've been dreaming all along." Evanna gently places her hand on my forehead and, before I could object, I was asleep. Sleeping peacefully for the first night in years.

I had been awake, listening to Skai and Lady Evanna's conversation for a little over half an hour before Evanna finally came over to where we slept with an unconscious Skai in her arms.

Our wars are just leading up to even more death and destruction and ultimately the end of the world. What's the point of fighting if we're all going to die anyway? Before I believed that if we killed the Lord of the Vampaneze then the clan would be safe, but the way that they had been talking just now, it seems like there really is no hope for savior.

Why am I fighting anyway? I have no family, barely any friends, and I hadn't even chosen this way of life! Mr. Crepsley blooded me against my will! So how is it _my _responsibility to save this god forsaken clan?

Why is it _always_ my responsibility, and yet all my problems are always irrelevant?

Why did it have to be _me_?


	19. Alley Kids and Beer Bottles

**So sorry for making you guys wait so long but I've just started high school and my life is in ruins. Anyway here is a new chapter, and I hope you like it.**

I felt blissfully relaxed as I cracked my eyes open, letting my gaze trail around the room lazily until it landed on a figure not too far away from me.

Skai's chest rose and fell at a steady rate and she lay, otherwise motionless, in a deep, peaceful sleep. I let a small smile grace my features as I stared at her sleeping form. It was rare to see her like this, when she wasn't having a nightmare, and it never failed to make me smile. Sighing, I sat up from my awkward laying position on Evanna's couch and let my eyes further explore the room.

Larten, Darren and Harkat were already awake and were sitting around the dinning table eating breakfast. Upon further inspection I found that they were all happily munching away on various berries and drinking tea. I groan, wishing Lady would let me eat meat while staying with her. Because of her strong bond with nature, she is possibly the most vegan person you ever could have the (mis)fortune of meeting.

Slowly, I got up, stretching and cracking my joints as I did so, and made my way over to the rest of the company.

"Vancha, you're finally awake!" Darren laughed as he noticed me. He was scooping a serving of blueberries and strawberries onto his plate and nearly dropped some into Larten's tea.

"Finally? How long have you three been up?" I ask, taking a seat beside Larten, who was hardly eating anything. I had noticed his decrease in appetite after Evanna showed him the face of his lost love, Arra Sails, in a lively state once more. Even though it was a genetic mutation in the DNA of nine frogs which caused their backs to bare her features, it was still a very touching gesture, one that I'm sure he will not forget soon.

"Half an hour, maybe. Evanna said that you always sleep later when you stay with her." He grinned, spooning more berries onto his plate.

I hum, musing about my younger years before all this vampire/vampaneze nonsense came along and made a mess of my life. "Speaking of which, where is Evanna?" I furrow my brow, looking over my shoulders trying to find the short, ugly witch.

"She said she would return soon, that was shortly after she made us breakfast." Larten spoke up from beside me. His voice was still groggy from sleep, but his manners were ever present.

I nodded and began filling my plate up with strange fruits, getting myself a jug of water and drinking directly from it, not bothering to find any glasses. We sat peacefully like that for a while, no one really talking to each other for too long before the conversation would fall apart and we would be enveloped in silence again.

"Vancha," Darren began after getting back from cleaning his and Harkat's dishes. I made a quiet grunting noise and looked up from the spot on the wall I had been staring at to show he had my attention. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and looked down at the cave floor. "You never told us how you met Skai."

I furrow my brow, gulping down some raspberries and looking between the child and my friend. "Hasn't Larten told you yet?" I ask, a ball of nerves growing in the pit of my stomach, not entirely wanting to recount that night in the alley just now.

Darren shook his head, sitting back down across from me. "Mr. Crepsley told me last night that you two had avoided the question the last time he saw you together." I look over at Larten, a confused look spreading over my features.

He only nodded, taking a sip of his tea. "It's true, when you last came to council, you and Skai were both very hesitant about the subject and brushed it off."

"I was just wondering, you know." Darren adds. I sigh, shaking my head.

"Alright, but just so you know, it's not really a happy story." I look around the table one last time, hoping for someone to dismiss the topic. No such luck. "Right, so it was about 70 years ago, long before I had become a vampire prince. I was wandering around and decided to cut through a human city." I paused, crinkling my brow as I thought back to that night. "Which, admittedly was odd, I'm not quite sure why I did that." I think out loud. I shake my head, realizing I had gotten off topic and began telling the story again. "Anyway, it was a pretty nice night, not too cold, and barely anyone was outside. It was oddly calm." I hear my tone darkening as I continued. "Then I heard a scream."

I wasn't looking at anyone, my eyes were focused on the old wooden table top, and my hands were clenching around the water jug. "It came from an alley, and it was followed by a loud slapping sound and a man's voice hushing the other. Needless to say I had to at least see what was going on. When I got there," I trailed off, taking a deep breath to calm down. Even thinking about that night had me grinding my teeth, but having to tell it. Having to put it all into words was a true test of my self control. After a few more breaths, I felt calm enough to continue.

"There was a drunk man with her, she had just been knocked unconscious. So I, _intervened_, and brought her to an abandoned house. I was planning on leaving before she woke up, so that she wouldn't get caught up in this kind of life, but turns out her life was pretty messed up to so we just, you, stuck together for ten years until she had to leave." I finished with a small shrug, finally looking up to meet their gazes.

I couldn't read Harkat's expression, but I would guess it was relatively close to the others, which were a combination of shock and, in regard to Larten, anger.

"And then the beautiful young lady found the prince again and they all lived happily ever after." Came a voice from behind us. We spun around, surprised by the sudden comment, only to find Skai, who had apparently woken up some time during my story, smiling at us from the over the back rest of the couch. "The end." She added as she swung over the back rest, landing almost noiselessly and began walking towards us.

She sat between Darren and I, blatantly ignoring the looks she was getting, and began happily munching away on an apple. I couldn't help but begin smiling at her and the way she seemed so unaffected by the darkness of the world, and how she was still so full of life.

And there we sat, in silence, until Evanna returned.


	20. Currents Convulsive

"Then I heard a scream." I cracked my eyes open as I heard Vancha's dark tone coming from the table Evanna had set up for us last night. He was speaking in a hushed manor, probably trying not to wake me, so I had to focus to hear him well enough. "There was a drunk man with her, and she had been knocked unconscious." My eyes widened as I realized he was recounting the night we met.

Softly, I rose from my, somewhat awkward, laying position on one of Evanna's many couches and slowly shifted, looking over the backrest of the couch. It irked me to see their faces. Larten looked extremely angry, though he hid it well, Darren seemed to be in a state of shock. I couldn't read Harkat's expression, and Vancha simply looked crest fallen.

As Vancha finished, looking up from the spot on the table he had been, seemingly, addressing, I decided to change the tone. "And then the beautiful young lady found the prince again and they all lived happily ever after. The end." I announced, ignoring their reaction as I swung my legs over the back rest.

As I sat down at the table, still ignoring my friends, I began to dig into the strange fruit which Evanna insisted I eat. Out of the corner of my eye I see Vancha smile, albeit in a sad manor, but it still made me feel better.

Not much conversation followed my alternative ending to the story. Though Larten did return to eating, and Darren and Harkat were having a quiet discussion which, out of respect for their privacy, I tried to tune out and, instead, concentrated on a one sided eating contest with Vancha.

"Skai!" Called the croaky voice of Evanna from the entrance tunnel of the cave, interrupting the blissful silence we had cocooned ourselves in. The short, fat woman appeared shortly after announcing her arrival. "Good, you're up. Once you've finished breakfast I need you to come with me." She states, passing us and making her way to the kitchen, busying herself no doubt with the dishes Darren 'cleaned'. I nod absent mindedly, even though I know there is no way she can see me, and continue shoveling strange fruits into my mouth.

"Where are you going?" Darren asks, staring at me with a look of bewilderment, probably because of the way I was eating. I have been told on many occasions by Vancha and Larten that I eat like a starved dog. I shrug, swallowing thickly, hurting my throat and almost choking. "No idea," I cough, clearing my throat before continuing. "Evanna likes to show me strange things that she thinks I'll find intriguing whenever I visit her."

"Like what?" He asks again, leaning slightly over the table as if being closer to me would help further his understanding.

"Darren, do not be rude. Let Skai finish her breakfast in peace." Larten scolds, leaning back in his chair slightly and crossing his arms.

"I could actually eat this table if you let me eat in peace! I don't mind conversation, you know." I laugh. I wipe my hand clean of the fruit juice (I have a terrible habit of not using utensils) before folding them on the table and resting my chin on them. "Hmm, well once she showed me a tree branch that had split and curled, creating this beautiful chandelier effect. Then another time, it was a stone that had strange markings on it that made it look like it had encased a city!" I say, gesturing with my hands as I described the objects.

Evanna reemerged, bringing a dish cloth with her and promptly swatted me over the head. "Don't sit here telling stories all day, I have something you need to do. Now," She turned, addressing the rest of the group, "We'll be back sometime in the afternoon and I'll discuss my involvement in the war of the scars with you. Until then, feel free to do as you please, so long as you don't harm my frogs." She finished her speech as I rose to clean my dish.

Vancha had followed me into the side-cave we call a kitchen. "Skai," He murmured, not wanting the others to hear.

"Hmm?" I hummed in response, dipping my dish into one of the water barrels, which had already been dyed pink from the other dishes, and began scrubbing it with a cloth.

"What are _we_?" He asked sheepishly. I turned around, facing him. He stood a foot or two away from me, and had his arms crossed over his chest in a defensive stance.

"I have no idea." I put my dish down, staring at the uneven floor of the smaller cave.

"Any other time, I would say we were together, but we're in the middle of two wars and, I just-" I sigh, wiping my hand over my face. "I really don't know."

"So if we both get out of this alive, then what would we be?" He asks, taking a step towards me. I reach out and take his hands in mine, running my thumbs over his rough knuckles.

"Together."

We had been walking for hours it seemed, the scenery around us was ever changing, and I watched in fascination as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. Neither of us said anything until we arrived at a clearing, the sun was now high in the sky, meaning we had probably been walking for four or five hours at least. Evanna caught my hand in hers and stood in the middle of the clearing, breathing deeply but other than that she was completely silent. "Skai" She whispered. "Close your eyes."

I did as she asked, letting my eye lids droop slowly until I was enveloped in darkness. I was now painfully aware of how tired I was, despite the much needed deep sleep

I had gotten the night before. My legs felt numb, and it took all of my remaining strength to remain standing. "Now what?" I whisper back.

"Listen."

I did as she asked, tuning out all other thoughts and letting the calm quiet of the clearing surround me. Except, it wasn't quiet, I could hear the birds chirping, and the wind rustling the trees. I could hear the life around me going on normally as if nothing was wrong in the world. And as we stood there, listening, all _was_ right in the world.

Until a noise caught my attention. I furrowed my brow, trying to pin point it. It was annoying and static, and made my mouth feel as if it were coated in copper. The annoying white noise hum of- "Magic." I whisper out loud.

Evanna hums beside me, and I swear I can _feel_ the smirk on her face. "Now that you can hear it, feel it. Let your body absorb it, then let it go."

I try. Letting go of my friend's hand, I open my palms and let my own magic hum at my finger tips. I lift my face up to the sky, in a mock offering to the invisible force. I stood there for what felt like centuries, beginning to doubt anything would happen, when I felt a jolt of something sting the finger tips of my left hand. I jumped slightly, but compose myself before feeling a second shock hit my right finger tips.

Then my fingers, hands, wrists, fore arms, I even felt it happening to my feet and legs. The magic was testing me, feeling my inner body and soul to see if I could handle it. The shocks got to my chest and then stopped. The hum was now distant, like it was fading, and I couldn't help but wonder if it had decided I wasn't worthy.

To be fair, it was probably right. I was just some run away who got thrown into a war. I was nothing special, Evanna was probably wrong about me being the white Phoenix, and just said that to try and explain a difficult situation to me. I sigh, beginning to open my eyes and letting my shoulders sag, nothing was going to-

Pain. A blinding white flash appeared behind my eyes and my muscles spasmed. My mouth dropped open and I'm not sure if I screamed or gasped. It felt like someone had shot a 1000 watt bolt of electricity into every nerve in my body and my brain seemed to dissolve into a steaming blob of mush that was currently running down my spine.

"Now," Evanna's voice rung through the chaos currently happening in my mind and body. "Let it go."

And I did. The energy that had swallowed me whole was now exploding from my out stretched fingers and the world was slowing coming into focus again. My eyes flew open, and I watched in wonder as incredible shapes and forms sprung from my fingers. It was something I could never have imagined and it was unfolding right in front of me. As I felt the last of the magic leave my body, fatigue took over, and the world went black.


	21. The Limp Lady

It was almost sun down when we finally saw Evanna approaching us from in between the trees which hid her home from passers-by. The sun had sunk low enough in the sky for Larten and I to be able to exit the cave without the sun inducing a piercing head ache upon us, and I had taken the opportunity to teach Darren some techniques in weaponless combat. The witch herself was nothing to be alarmed about, the limp figure that she cradled in her arms, however, was enough to invoke a small panic in the pit on my stomach.

"Skai?" I call out. Larten and Darren finally notice the sudden appearance of the woman, and soon the three of us are running across the meadow, dodging frogs left and right, Harkat following closely behind us.

"Don't worry." Evanna soothes as we approach her. She looks down at the girl she cradles in her arms and smiles. "She just needs some more sleep. You" She says sharply, looking up at me. "Take her, my arms are tiring." Evanna raises Skai in her arms, allowing room for me to take her with my own.

It was at that moment that I remembered just how light she was, not fragile, just light. She had told me once about her ancestry, when we were still learning about each other's species and culture (well, it was more me learning about Phoenixes. Skai's time in the Cirque with Larten had given her time to learn a lot about vampires).

_"__Phoenixes are descendants of birds, so we took on many of their traits." Skai explained, _

_taking a large bite out of the section of deer meat she had cooked for herself._

_"__Yeah, like what?" I challenged, cocking an eyebrow at her from across the fire._

_She looked up through her lashes, swallowing thickly before stating dryly. "Hollow bones."_

I rolled my eyes. "There is no way you have hollow bones."

_"__Wanna bet?" She asked, setting down her meat. Before I could reply, she took hold of her left index finger and harshly snapped it back. A small, skinny tip of bone poked through the ripped skin of her finger. "See?"_

_"__Skai! Oh my god, what the hell?" I immediately rushed over to her side, examining the finger. No blood was running from the broken skin, and she seemed to be experiencing no pain, but the fact that the bone was actually jutting out of her finger was enough for me to over look those indications that she was, in fact, okay. "Are you alright, why did you do that? What the fuck?" _

_"__It'll heal, I know magic, remember? Just look at the bone, dummy." She sighed. I did as she asked, more looking at the wound than the bone, but she had been right. The bone itself was hollow._

_"__Well, shit. You sure go to extreme measures to prove your point." I laugh, making my way back to my side of the camp fire._

_She shrugs, pushing the bone back through the torn flesh and, one puff of white smoke later, it was good as new. "Maybe next time, if you don't doubt me, I won't have to."_

With Skai now lying soundly in my arms, we begin making our way back to the cave. "I suppose you're not going to tell us what you two were up to, are you?" I ask Evanna, almost flattening one of her precious frogs. The small hairy woman only smiles knowingly and we continue to make our way back to her cave.

"You know me too well, Vancha. Maybe Skai will tell you when she wakes up, but I wouldn't count on it."

"How long have you two known each other?" Darren asks, staring at Skai strangely, as if he still didn't know what to make of her.

Evanna let out a short chuckle, sighing contently. "She was the first person I ever met, apart from my father and brother, of course. We traveled around together for about 20 years and she helped me pick my name. She's one of my only true friends."

"So, she's older than you?" Darren gasped, looking between the two women in disbelief.

"Skai is older than all of us combined, and possibly wiser, too. She may not look like much, but she is easily one of the most interesting beings currently walking the earth."

We ducked into the cave and Evanna began preparing dinner for us. I carefully set Skai down on one of the couches, brushing the hair away from her eyes and making sure she was laying comfortably. This was the first time I had ever seen her sleeping peacefully for two nights straight. Whatever she and Evanna had been up to, it was enough to banish her nightmares, so it was good enough for me.

"She'll wake up if you keep staring at her like that." I look up to see Evanna smirking at me from behind the table, Larten hiding his smirk behind a mug, and Darren and Harkat looking genuinely uncomfortable.

"Who wouldn't want to wake up and see my beautiful face looking at them?" I smirk back.

"Quite honestly," Larten pipes up, lower the mug from its position in front of his mouth so that the smirk was visible on his face. "Skai is already tormented by nightmares in her sleep, do you want to have her wake up to another one?"

Jaws dropped. Larten Crepsley, the most proper, stick-up-the-ass man you could ever meet, just delivered one of the best insults I had ever heard, and it was directed at me. I had no come back, for, possibly, the first time in my life, and could only stand there, until Evanna saved me from my stuck situation.

"Now, boys, behave yourselves. Come on now, dinner's ready, and I will have no more of this fighting. Vancha, pick your jaw up off the floor and come to the table, please."

I couldn't help but stand there a bit longer, if only to take in the shock of the 'burn', but soon made my way to the table with the rest of my comrades.

"Now." Evanna began as we all sat down. "Let's sort out this 'War of Scars' business."


End file.
